Opening device and light control system

Abstract

To enable repair and maintenance while maintaining light control function.SOLUTION: Provided is an opening device 100 provided at an opening in the structure of a building, including a first glass 25 provided within the frame of an opening frame 10 attached to the opening, a plurality of light control plates 51 provided vertically in a line on the interior side of the first glass 25 within the frame of the opening frame 10, an inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 for adjusting the inclination angle of the plurality of light control plates 51 about the horizontal axis, and a power unit 60 having an electric angle adjustment actuator 624 for operating the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57. The power unit 60 is removable from the opening device 100 by separating it from the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening device and a light control system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Inside an opening device provided in an opening in the framework of a building, a so-called blind, in which light-shielding plates are arranged vertically, is used as a light control device. In recent years, blinds have been equipped with motors for adjusting the tilt angle and raising and lowering the multiple light shielding plates, and these operations are performed by button operation to improve operability (for example, see Patent Document 1). Note that Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose configurations for manually performing the raising and lowering operations and tilt angle adjustment of multiple light shielding plates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-57195 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-25694 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-167596 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional dimming device described above, the mechanical configuration for adjusting the inclination angle and raising and lowering the multiple light-shielding plates, the motor as a power source, the power transmission mechanism, the power supply circuit, etc. are all housed within a housing located at the top end of the device. This causes a problem that, for example, if a motor breaks down or maintenance is required, the entire dimmer device must be removed from the opening to perform repairs, during which time the dimmer function at the opening is completely lost.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to enable easy repair and maintenance while maintaining the dimming function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to An opening device provided at an opening in a structure of a building, A first glass provided within a frame of an opening frame attached to the opening; A plurality of light control plates are provided vertically in a row on the indoor side of the first glass within the frame of the opening; A tilt angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates around a horizontal axis; a power unit having an electric angle adjustment actuator that operates the tilt angle adjustment mechanism, The power unit is characterized in that it is removable from the opening device separately from the tilt angle adjustment mechanism.

[0007] The present invention also provides a light control system, The opening device, an external illuminance detection unit that detects an illuminance outside the building; A control device for the opening device, The control device includes: When the external illuminance is less than a first external threshold, the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted horizontally; When the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the first external threshold value and less than a second external threshold value, the inclination angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted to an angle at which reflected light is captured from the outside; When the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold value, the inclination angles of the multiple dimming panels about the horizontal axis are adjusted to a closing angle that blocks light from entering from outside. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention makes it possible to maintain the dimming function even when repair or maintenance is required. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the opening device of the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the opening device taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the lifting mechanism of the opening device as viewed from the left. [Figure 4] 13 is a left side view of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism of the opening device as viewed from the left. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a rear view of the drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism of the power unit, showing the connected state with the lifting mechanism. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism of the power unit, showing a state where the drive mechanism is not connected to the lifting mechanism. [Figure 7] 1 is a rear view of the drive mechanism of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism of the power unit, showing a connected state with the inclination angle adjustment mechanism. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a rear view of the drive mechanism of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism of the power unit, showing a state in which the drive mechanism is not connected to the inclination angle adjustment mechanism. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the power unit, showing the connection state between the lifting mechanism and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the power unit, showing a state in which the lifting mechanism and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism are not connected to each other. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a power unit and its peripheral equipment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a light control system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the external illuminance is less than a first external threshold value in dimming control. [Figure 14] 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the external illuminance is equal to or greater than a first external threshold value and less than a second external threshold value in dimming control. FIG. [Figure 15] 11 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the external illuminance is equal to or higher than a second external threshold value in dimming control. FIG. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart of dimming control. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the opening device. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the drive mechanism of the lifting device. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a rear view showing another aspect of the drive mechanism of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First embodiment] An opening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. In the first embodiment, a case in which the present invention is applied to an opening device for a sliding window will be illustrated.

[0011] [Outline of opening device] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the opening device 100, and FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the opening device 100 taken along line AA in FIG. The opening portion device 100 is installed in a rectangular opening portion formed in the framework of a building. The opening device 100 comprises a window frame 10 as an opening frame, an outer screen 20 and an inner screen 30 which are sliding screen doors provided inside the window frame 10, a plurality of dimmer panels 51 built into the outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30, a lifting mechanism 56 which raises and lowers the plurality of dimmer panels 51, a tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 which adjusts the tilt angle of the plurality of dimmer panels 51 around the horizontal axis, and a power unit 60 (not shown in FIG. 2) for the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57.

[0012] In the following description of all the components of the opening device 100, the width direction of the window frame 10 is defined as the left-right direction, the height direction as the up-down direction, and the up-down direction in FIG. 1 (left-right direction in FIG. 2) as the front-rear direction. Moreover, for the opening device 100, the top, bottom, left and right when viewed from the indoor side are defined as the top, bottom, left and right of the opening device 100. Furthermore, for the opening device 100, the outdoor side is defined as the front, and the indoor side is defined as the rear. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the direction of each part will be described on the assumption that the opening device 100 is installed in a building so that the top and bottom of the opening device 100 are parallel to the vertical up and down direction, and the front, back, left and right of the opening device 100 are parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0013] [window frame] The window frame 10 of the opening device 100 comprises an upper frame 11 and a lower frame 12 spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and arranged along the left-right direction, and left and right vertical frames 13, 14 spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction and arranged along the up-down direction, which are combined in a rectangular shape to form a frame body. The upper frame 11, the lower frame 12 and the vertical frames 13, 14 are all formed from extruded aluminum alloy material. The window frame 10 is fixed to the inner wall of a rectangular opening in the frame by means of mounting fixtures (not shown).

[0014] [Shoji screen] The outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 (hereinafter, when referring to both the outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 at the same time, they will be referred to as each screen 20, 30) comprise upper frames 21, 31 and lower frames 22, 32 which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and arranged along the left-right direction, and joint frames 23, 33 and door end frames 24, 34 which are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and arranged along the vertical direction, and these are combined in a rectangular shape to form a frame body that supports the outer glass 25, 35 as the first glass, surrounding it on all sides. Each of these frames 21, 31, 22, 32, 23, 33, 24, and 34 is also formed from an extruded aluminum alloy material.

[0015] When the window is closed, the joint frames 23, 33 are positioned in the left-right center of the window frame 10 and face each other in a line-up arrangement in the front-to-back direction. In this arrangement, the front wall of the joint frame 33 is provided with an airtight material (not shown) that slides against the rear wall of the opposing joint frame 23.

[0016] On the other hand, the door frames 24, 34 are located at the left and right ends of the window frame 10, respectively, when the window is closed. The vertical frames 13, 14 may have a convex stripe extending in the vertical direction on the surface of each of the shoji screens 20, 30, which protrudes toward the end frame 24, 34. When the window is closed, these convex stripes are inserted into the openings at the ends of the end frames 24, 34. In addition, the vertical frames 13, 14 are provided with airtight material (not shown) that slides against the rear walls of the door frames 24, 34 when the window is closed.

[0017] Each of the shoji screens 20, 30 can move left and right inside the window frame 10. To enable each of the shoji screens 20, 30 to move left and right, a pair of upper guide rails 111, 112 are provided side by side in the front and rear on the lower surface of the upper frame 11 along the left and right direction. Each of the upper guide rails 111, 112 is a downwardly protruding ridge and is inserted into a guide groove formed in the upper frame 21, 31 along the left-right direction. With this configuration, the upper end of each of the shoji screens 20, 30 is supported by the upper frame 11 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. In addition, an airtight material (not shown) that slides against the upper guide rails 111 and 112 is provided in the grooves of the upper frames 21 and 31.

[0018] In addition, in order to enable each of the shoji screens 20, 30 to move left and right, a pair of lower guide rails 121, 122 extending left and right are provided on the lower frame 12 side by side in the front and rear directions. In addition, since the external dimensions of the outer screen 20 are set to be slightly longer in the vertical direction than those of the inner screen 30, the lower guide rail 121 corresponding to the outer screen 20 is positioned at a lower position than the lower guide rail 122 corresponding to the inner screen 30.

[0019] Further, near both left and right ends of the bottom frame 22, 32 of each shoji screen 20, 30, door rollers 221, 321 are provided so as to be rotatable about axes extending in the front-to-rear direction. With this configuration, the lower end of each shoji screen 20, 30 is supported by the bottom frame 12 so that it can slide left and right. In addition, the lower frame 12 is provided with an airtight material (not shown) arranged in sliding contact with the rear side walls of each lower frame 22, 32.

[0020] Each of the shoji screens 20, 30 has a rectangular inner frame 27, 37 that is slightly smaller than the rectangular frame 21, 31, 22, 32, 23, 33, 24, 34. The inner frames 27, 37 have upper, lower, left and right frame portions each formed from an extruded aluminum alloy material. The inner frames 27, 37 hold, on their inside, the inner glass 26, 36 as a second glass, and a plurality of dimming plates 51 lined up vertically. Inside the inner frames 27, 37, the inner glass 26, 36 is disposed rearward of the multiple light control plates 51. As a result, the multiple light control plates 51 are disposed in a stored state in an internal space sandwiched between the outer glass 25, 35 and the inner glass 26, 36 from the front and rear.

[0021] [Light control panel] The outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 have outer glass 25, 35 and inner glass 26, 36 arranged in front and back. The inner glass 26, 36 is somewhat smaller than the outer glass 25, 35. In addition, the dimmer panel 51, lifting mechanism 56, and tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 in the outer screen 20 and the dimmer panel 51, lifting mechanism 56, and tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 in the inner screen 30 have the same structure, except that the structure and arrangement of each component are symmetrical. Therefore, in the following explanation, we will explain the respective components of the dimmer panel 51, lifting mechanism 56, and tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 in the outer screen 20, and will use the same symbols for the respective components of the dimmer panel 51, lifting mechanism 56, and tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 in the inner screen 30, and will not repeat the explanation.

[0022] The light control panel 51 is made of a rectangular resin or metal thin plate whose left-right length is sufficiently longer than its front-to-rear width. The length of the light control panel 51 is approximately the same as the left-to-right length of the inner glass 26, and its front-to-rear width is somewhat narrower than the front-to-rear gap width between the outer glass 25 and the inner glass 26. Note that only the topmost light control panel 51 is shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] The dimming plates 51 are arranged vertically at equal intervals. The dimming plates 51 are arranged so as to overlap each other in a plan view. Each dimming plate 51 rotates around an axis along the left-right direction to uniformly change and adjust the inclination angle.

[0024] The front-to-rear width of each dimming plate 51 and the vertical spacing between each dimming plate 51 are set so as to satisfy the following conditions. The inclination angle is adjusted so that the front edge and rear edge of each dimming plate 51 are close to an upright state so that the maximum height difference is created. In this state, the front edge or rear edge of each dimming plate 51 is in contact with or in close proximity to the rear edge or front edge of the other dimming plate adjacent thereto. Furthermore, when viewed from the front-rear direction, the front edge or rear edge of each dimming plate 51 slightly overlaps with the rear edge or front edge of the other dimming plate adjacent thereto. In this state, each dimming plate 51 can almost completely block the entry of light from outdoors. The inclination angle at which the light from the outdoors is blocked in each of the light control panels 51 is defined as a "blocking angle." At the blocking angle, the rear edge of each of the light control panels 51 is on top.

[0025] The arrangement of the plurality of light control plates 51 is realized by the support structure thereof. This support structure mainly includes a bottom rail 52 for arranging and supporting each dimming plate 51, a lift cord 53, and ladder cords 54, 55.

[0026] The bottom rail 52 is disposed below the multiple dimming plates 51 arranged vertically. The bottom rail 52 has approximately the same front-to-back and left-to-right sizes as the dimming plates 51 in a plan view. The bottom rail 52 functions as a weight for the multiple dimming plates 51. The bottom rail 52 is suspended by cable-like lift cords 53 connected at multiple points in the left-right direction. Each lift cord 53 is connected to a middle portion in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the bottom rail 52. The bottom rail 52 is capable of swinging about a horizontal axis along the left-right direction, centered on the connection position of each lift cord 53. Each lift cord 53 extends upward through a long hole that is long in the front-to-rear direction and formed in a number of dimming panels 51 lined up above the bottom rail 52, and its upper end is connected to a lift mechanism 56.

[0027] The ladder cords 54, 55 are arranged in pairs in a vertically hanging state in the up-down direction on the front and rear sides of the multiple dimming panels 51 arranged vertically. The lower ends of the ladder cords 54, 55 are connected to the front and rear edges of the bottom rail 52. The ladder cords 54, 55 are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction of each dimming panel 51. The pair of ladder cords 54, 55 are connected by multiple crossover threads 541 arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction. As a result, the pair of ladder cords 54, 55 and the multiple crossover threads 541 form a ladder shape. Each crossover thread 541 supports each light control plate 51 from below. Since the ladder cords 54, 55 and the multiple crossover strings 541 form a ladder shape, when the front ladder cord 54 is pulled up, each of the dimming plates 51 can be rotated around a horizontal axis along the left-right direction so that the front edge of each is pulled up. Also, when the rear ladder cord 55 is pulled up, each of the dimming plates 51 can be rotated around a horizontal axis along the left-right direction so that the rear edge of each is pulled up.

[0028] [Lifting mechanism] The lifting mechanism 56 and inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 of the outer screen 20 are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right inside the left end side of the inner frame 27, in the area to the left of each dimming panel 51. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the lifting mechanism 56 as seen from the left.

[0029] The lifting mechanism 56 has a slide rail 561 fixedly supported inside the inner frame 27 aligned in the vertical direction, a slider 562 supported so as to be movable up and down along the slide rail 561, and a lifting operation lever 563 extending rearward from the slider 562 as a lifting input part for manually lifting and lowering the multiple dimmer panels 51.

[0030] The slide rail 561 is fixed and supported in the inner frame 27 along the vertical direction. The slide rail 561 penetrates the slider 562 vertically, and the slider 562 has a built-in stopper (not shown) that prevents the slider 562 from moving up and down relative to the slide rail 561. The lifting / lowering operation lever 563 provided on the slider 562 can be rotated between a vertical state in which the tip of the lever faces upward and stands upright, and a horizontal state. In the vertical state, the stopper in the slider 562 is activated, and in the horizontal state, the stopper is released. Therefore, when the slider 562 is moved up and down along the slide rail 561, the lifting / lowering operation lever 563 is rotated to the horizontal state.

[0031] A pulley 564 is provided on the sliding body 562, and a lifting / lowering cord 53 is hung over the pulley 564, which is pulled downward from the vicinity of the upper end of the inner frame 27. By the action of the pulley, the plurality of dimmer plates 51 and the bottom rail 52 can be raised and lowered by an operating force smaller than the weight load of each dimmer plate 51 for the lifting / lowering operation lever 563.

[0032] The sliding body 562 may be equipped with a friction clutch (not shown) that imparts a predetermined frictional force to the lifting and lowering operation along the slide rail 561. The sliding body 562 may also be provided with a counterweight that balances the total weight of the plurality of dimmer plates 51 and the bottom rail 52. The friction clutch can suppress the slider 562 from rising forcefully due to the pull of the weight of each dimming plate 51. In addition, the counterweight can apply a small force to the slider 562 to raise and lower each dimming plate 51.

[0033] [Tilt angle adjustment mechanism] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 as seen from the left. The above-mentioned ladder cords 54, 55 are connected to form a single cord on the side of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57. That is, one end of this single cord is the ladder cord 54, and the other end is the ladder cord 55. The tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 has a holding portion 571 that fixes and holds the ladder cords 54, 55 (a single cord), an angle adjustment bracket 572 that extends rearward from the holding portion 571 and serves as a tilt angle input portion that adjusts the tilt angle of the multiple dimmer panels 51 around the horizontal axis by manual operation, and a frame body 573 that supports the holding portion 571 so that it can move up and down.

[0034] When the angle adjustment fitting 572 is moved downward, the ladder cords 54, 55 are pulled downward through the holding portion 571, and the ladder cord 54 side on the side of each dimming plate 51 is pulled up, causing the front edge of each dimming plate 51 to rotate around the horizontal axis so as to be pulled upward. In addition, when the angle adjustment fitting 572 is moved upward, the ladder cords 54, 55 are pulled upward through the holding portion 571, and on the side of each dimming plate 51, the ladder cord 55 side is pulled up, and the rear edge of each dimming plate 51 rotates around the horizontal axis so as to be pulled upward. Frame 573 holds holding portion 571 with a certain frictional force, and can hold holding portion 571 at the position adjusted by angle adjustment metal fitting 572.

[0035] [Power unit] Next, a description will be given of the power unit 60. The power unit 60 has a drive mechanism 61 for the lifting mechanism 56 and a drive mechanism 62 for the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57. Figures 5 and 6 are rear views of the drive mechanism 61 of the lifting mechanism 56, showing the connected and unconnected states with the lifting mechanism 56. Figures 7 and 8 are rear views of the drive mechanism 62 of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57, showing the connected and unconnected states with the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57. Figures 9 and 10 are plan views of the power unit 60, showing the connected and unconnected states with the lifting mechanism 56 and the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57.

[0036] [Power unit: driving mechanism for the lifting mechanism] As shown in Figs. 5, 6, 9 and 10, the drive mechanism 61 of the lift mechanism 56 of the power unit 60 will be described. The drive mechanism 61 of the power unit 60 is located on the left side of the lifting mechanism 56, and has a first joint member 611 that can be connected to a lifting operation lever 563 that manually raises and lowers the sliding body 562 of the lifting mechanism 56, a lifting body 612 that supports the first joint member 611, a ball screw 613 that imparts lifting and lowering motion to the lifting body 612, and a lifting motor 614 that imparts rotation to the ball screw 613.

[0037] The lift body 612 incorporates a ball nut, and a ball screw 613 disposed along the vertical direction is screwed into the ball nut. The ball screw 613 is supported rotatably and vertically within a housing 68 of the power unit 60, which will be described later. The lift motor 614 is an electric lift actuator that operates the lift mechanism 56, and is preferably, for example, a servo motor or a stepping motor whose rotation amount can be arbitrarily controlled. The output shaft of the lift motor 614 may be directly connected to the ball screw 613 or may be connected via a gear mechanism. By driving the lift motor 614 with a desired rotation amount, the ball screw 613 is rotated, and the lift body 612 can be positioned at a desired height.

[0038] The lift body 612 extends to the right and supports the first joint member 611 at its right end so that the first joint member 611 can move in the left-right direction. The first joint member 611 extends further to the right from the lift body 612, and has a recess 615 at its right end that is open to the right. 5, the lift-up operation lever 563 can be inserted into the recess 615 by moving the first joint member 611 to the right, and the inserted lift-up operation lever 563 is restrained from above and below, connecting the first joint member 611 and the lift-up operation lever 563. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, the lift-up operation lever 563 can be removed from inside the recess 615 by moving the first joint member 611 to the left, and the connected state can be released.

[0039] By driving the lifting motor 614 while the first joint member 611 and the lifting operation lever 563 are connected, it is possible to apply an operation to the lifting operation lever 563 of the lifting mechanism 56 with any amount of operation, and each dimmer panel 51 can be raised or lowered to any height.

[0040] The first joint member 611 is manually moved left and right to switch between connection and disconnection with the lift operation lever 563. In addition, the first joint member 611 may be provided with a position fixing means such as a manually operable set screw that fixes the first joint member 611 so as not to move left or right with the lift operation lever 563 inserted in the recess 615.

[0041] [Power unit: driving mechanism for tilt angle adjustment mechanism] As shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, the drive mechanism 62 of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 of the power unit 60 will be described. The drive mechanism 62 of the power unit 60 is located to the left of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 and to the right of the drive mechanism 61 described above. The drive mechanism 62 has a second joint member 621 that can be connected to an angle adjustment fitting 572 that manually raises and lowers the holding portion 571 of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57, a lifting body 622 that supports the second joint member 621, a ball screw 623 that imparts lifting and lowering motion to the lifting body 622, and an angle adjustment motor 624 that imparts rotation to the ball screw 623.

[0042] The lift body 622 incorporates a ball nut, and a ball screw 623 disposed along the vertical direction is screwed into the ball nut. The ball screw 623 is supported rotatably and vertically within a housing 68 of the power unit 60, which will be described later. The angle adjustment motor 624 is an electric angle adjustment actuator that operates the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57, and is preferably, for example, a servo motor or a stepping motor that can arbitrarily control the amount of rotation. The output shaft of the angle adjustment motor 624 may be directly connected to the ball screw 623 or may be connected via a gear mechanism. By driving the angle adjustment motor 624 by any rotation amount, the ball screw 623 is rotated, and the angle of each dimming plate 51 can be adjusted to any angle around a horizontal axis along the left-right direction.

[0043] The lift body 622 extends to the right and supports the second joint member 621 at its right end so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The second joint member 621 extends further to the right from the lift body 622, and has a recess 625 at its right end which is open to the front and to both the left and right sides. As shown in Fig. 7, angle-adjustable fitting 572 can be inserted into recess 625 by moving second joint member 621 to the right, and the inserted angle-adjustable fitting 572 is restrained from above and below, connecting second joint member 621 and angle-adjustable fitting 572. Also, as shown in Fig. 8, angle-adjustable fitting 572 can be removed from recess 625 by moving second joint member 621 to the left, and the connected state can be released.

[0044] By driving the angle adjustment motor 624 while the second joint member 621 and the angle adjustment fitting 572 are connected, any amount of operation can be applied to the angle adjustment fitting 572 of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57, and each dimmer panel 51 can be adjusted to any angle around a horizontal axis along the left-right direction.

[0045] The switching between connection and non-connection with the angle adjustment fitting 572 by moving the second joint member 621 left and right is performed manually. In addition, second joint member 621 may be provided with a position fixing means such as a manually operable set screw that fixes second joint member 621 so as not to move left or right with angle adjustment fitting 572 inserted in recess 625.

[0046] [Power unit: other configurations] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the power unit 60 and its peripheral devices. The power unit 60 has, in addition to the drive mechanisms 61 and 62 described above, a control device 63, an operating device 64, a communication device 65, a power circuit 66, a battery 67, and a housing 68.

[0047] The control device 63 is configured with, for example, a microprocessor. The control device 63 is provided with an operating device 64. The operation device 64 is an input means having input buttons and the like for the user to input the operation of raising and lowering and rotating each of the dimmer panels 51 . The control device 63 executes operation control of the lifting motor 614 and the angle adjustment motor 624 of the drive mechanisms 61 and 62 in accordance with an input command from the operation device 64. For example, the control device 63 performs control such as adjusting the height of each dimming plate 51 according to the amount of operation input from the operation device 64, or adjusting the tilt angle of each dimming plate 51 to a target angle according to the amount of operation.

[0048] In addition, there is a correlation between the amount of operation of the lifting motor 614 and the height of each dimming panel 51, and the control device 63 may be configured to store table data recording this correlation in a storage means (not shown). Similarly, there is a correlation between the amount of operation of the angle adjustment motor 624 and the angle around the horizontal axis along the left-right direction of each dimming panel 51, and the control device 63 may be configured to store table data recording these correlations in a memory means not shown. The control device 63 may refer to these table data to control the operation of the lifting motor 614 and the angle adjustment motor 624, and perform control to adjust each dimmer panel 51 to a target height or a target tilt angle.

[0049] Furthermore, in the case where the opening device 100 is a part of the configuration of a light control system 1000 described later, the control device 63 executes control and processing required for cooperation with other devices. In this case, the control device 63 preferably has a clock circuit for acquiring the current time.

[0050] The communication device 65 is for the control device 63 to perform wireless communication with the outside. The communication device 65 is, for example, a device that uses a short-range communication network using radio waves conforming to a protocol such as WiFi or Bluetooth (registered trademark) or a device that uses infrared rays. 11, when the power unit 60 can be remotely operated by an external remote controller 71, the communication device 65 is used for wireless communication with the remote controller 71. This remote controller 71 is provided with input buttons and the like for the user to input operation to raise / lower and rotate each dimmer panel 51, similar to the above-mentioned operation device 64. Note that when the operation of each dimmer panel 51 is performed exclusively by the remote controller 71, the operation device 64 may be omitted.

[0051] Furthermore, in the case where the opening device 100 is a part of the configuration of a light control system 1000 described later, the communication device 65 executes wireless communication with other devices.

[0052] The power supply circuit 66 uses a battery 67 as a power supply source to supply the necessary power to the control device 63 , the operating device 64 , the communication device 65 , the lifting motor 614 , and the angle adjustment motor 624 . The power supply circuit 66 also functions as a charging circuit that charges the battery 67 by receiving power from a power supply device, for example, a solar panel 72 provided on the front surface of the inner frame 27 . The solar panel 72 is provided at a position where it is irradiated with sunlight while minimizing the effect on the lighting from the outside into the room. If the solar panel 72 has excellent weather resistance, it may be attached to the outer front surface of the outer glass 25.

[0053] A connector 681 for connecting a current carrying cable extending from the solar panel 72 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 68 of the power unit 60. This connector 681 is made of a female connector that detachably couples with a male connector (not shown) provided at the tip of the current carrying cable of the solar panel 72. In other words, the current carrying cable extending from the solar panel 72 can be easily removed manually. The power supply device is not limited to a battery or a solar panel, and may be another power source such as a generator that utilizes wind power or the like, or an AC power source supplied to a building. The method of energization is not limited to direct wiring using a current-carrying cable, and may be a non-contact energization method. Even in the case of contact energization, the method is not limited to an insertion-type connector connection, and may be a magnet-connection type connector that utilizes the attractive force of a magnet.

[0054] The housing 68 stores or fixedly holds all of the components of the power unit 60, namely, the drive mechanisms 61, 62, the control device 63, the operation device 64, the communication device 65, the power circuit 66, and the battery 67. Note that the first and second joint members 611, 621 of the drive mechanisms 61, 62 are exposed to the outside of the housing 68 in order to connect with the lift operation lever 563 of the lift mechanism 56 or the angle adjustment fitting 572 of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57. Moreover, various buttons of the operating device 64 are arranged on the surface of the housing 68. Moreover, in the case where the communication device 65 has an antenna, the antenna may be arranged on the surface of the housing 68. Furthermore, the housing 68 may be provided with an outlet for replacing the battery 67 therein.

[0055] This housing 68 is attached to the outer surface of the outer door 20 near the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, it is provided at the rear of the door frame 24. The housing 68 has, for example, a rectangular shape with one corner cut out into a square shape in a plan view, a three-dimensional shape that is long in the vertical direction, and the various components described above are stored inside the hollow housing 68. The material of the housing 68 may be any material that can ensure the necessary strength, and metal, resin, etc. are preferable. By having the above-described shape in a plan view, the housing 68 can have a large contact area when installed in the corner of the outer screen 20.

[0056] The housing 68 has an attachment structure for the outer screen 20 on the surface that comes into contact with the outer surface of the outer screen 20. For example, a vertically long cover 241 is attached to the left rear surface of the door frame 24 of the outer screen 20 to cover the screw holes and screws. This cover 241 has multiple attachment holes for the power unit 60 formed at the top and bottom, penetrating from front to back. On the surface of the housing 68 facing the cover 241, locking projections 682 protruding outward toward the rear are formed in the same number as the mounting holes. The locking projections 682 are flexible and can expand and contract in the radial direction of the mounting hole, and are barbed toward the outside in the radial direction. Therefore, by pushing each locking projection 682 into the mounting hole, the entire power unit 60 including the housing 68 can be easily attached to the outer surface of the outer screen 20. In addition, since the locking projection 682 is flexible, when the user applies force, it can be contracted in the radial direction of the mounting hole and pulled out over the barb. Therefore, the entire power unit 60 including the housing 68 can be easily removed from the outer surface of the outer screen 20.

[0057] The first and second joint members 611, 621 exposed to the outside of the housing 68 can be moved to the right after the housing 68 is attached, so that they are connected to the lift operation lever 563 and the angle adjustment bracket 572, respectively. In addition, when removing the housing 68, the first and second joint members 611, 621 can be moved to the left to be disconnected from the lift operation lever 563 and the angle adjustment fitting 572, respectively, and do not hinder the removal of the housing 68. Also, as described above, since connector 681 is provided on the outside of housing 68, the current-carrying cable of solar panel 72 can be easily connected and disconnected when housing 68 is attached or removed. Furthermore, it is preferable to place the connector 681 in a position where it will not be hidden by the outer surface of the outer screen 20 when the housing 68 is installed.

[0058] In addition, because the inner screen 30 has a different external shape from the outer screen 20, it is difficult to provide the mounting holes for the power unit 60 in the same location as the outer screen 20. For this reason, the inner screen 30 has mounting holes formed in multiple locations on the top and bottom of the wall surface at the rear right end. On the surface of the housing 68 facing the position where the mounting holes of the inner screen 30 are formed, there are formed the same number of locking projections 682 that protrude outward toward the left as the mounting holes. The method of mounting and removing the housing 68 is the same as described above.

[0059] The method of mounting the housing 68 of the power unit 60 to the outer screen 20 and inner screen 30 is not limited to the above, and any method that allows removal as necessary can be selected. For example, the housing 68 may be mounted to the outer screen 20 and inner screen 30 using locking screws or bolts. The housing 68 may also be mounted by fitting it into the outer screen 20 and inner screen 30 using a concave-convex structure. In addition, the housing 68 may be attached to the outer screen 20 or the inner screen 30 using a magnet and a magnetic material, or a magnet and a magnet.

[0060] [Technical effect of the first embodiment] The opening device 100 is capable of removing the power unit 60 from the outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 of the opening device 100 by separating it from the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57. Therefore, when the power unit 60 is broken or malfunctions or when maintenance is required, the power unit 60 can be removed together with the housing 68 to deal with the problem. Since the outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 are left with the dimming plates 51, their support mechanisms, the lifting mechanism 56, the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57, etc., the dimming function can be maintained.

[0061] In addition, the outer screen 20 and the inner screen 30 are provided with inner glass 26, 36, and are configured to store and hold a plurality of dimming plates 51 between the outer glass 25, 35 and the inner glass 26, 36. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to or accumulating on the dimming plate 51. In this way, the opening device 100 is in a stored state in which each dimming plate 51 cannot be easily accessed by the user, but the power unit 60 can be attached and detached regardless of the stored position of each dimming plate 51, making it extremely easy to handle response work in the event of a malfunction or maintenance.

[0062] The lifting mechanism 56 has a lifting operation lever 563 that manually lifts and lowers the multiple light control panels 51, and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 has an angle adjustment fitting 572 that manually adjusts the tilt angle of the multiple light control panels 51 around the horizontal axis. The power unit 60 is configured to operate the lifting mechanism 56 from the lifting operation lever 563 and operate the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 from the angle adjustment fitting 572. Therefore, even if the power unit 60 breaks down, malfunctions, or requires maintenance and is removed, the lifting mechanism 56 and the angle adjustment fittings 572 can manually raise and lower the dimming plates 51 and adjust the angle, making it possible to maintain the dimming function to the maximum extent.

[0063] In addition, because the power unit 60 is configured to transmit power via the lifting operation lever 563 and the angle adjustment metal fitting 572, it is possible to simplify the mechanical connection structure between the power unit 60 and the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57. This also makes it possible to facilitate the mechanical connection work between the power unit 60 and the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 when installing and removing the power unit 60, making it possible to perform the installation and removal work extremely easily. In addition, the power unit 60 can be easily retrofitted to an existing opening device having a dimmer panel 51, a lifting mechanism 56, and an inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57, making it possible to easily implement the invention.

[0064] The application of the drive unit 60 is not limited to sliding window opening devices, but can also be applied to other types of opening devices such as vertical sliding windows and fixed windows.

[0065] [Second embodiment] A light control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a light control system 1000 using the above-described opening device 100 will be illustrated.

[0066] [Dimming system] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a light adjustment system 1000. As shown in FIG. The light control system 1000 described below is exemplified as being applied to one room of a large building such as an office, a commercial facility, a hospital, or a public facility. The light control system 1000 is not limited to the above, and can also be applied to one room of a building constituting a residence such as a detached house or an apartment building.

[0067] The dimming system 1000 includes an opening device 100, an external illuminance sensor 1001 as an external illuminance detection unit that detects the illuminance outside the building, an internal illuminance sensor 1002 as an internal illuminance detection unit that detects the illuminance inside the building, an alarm device 1003, and a temperature sensor 1004 as a temperature detection unit. The building is provided with a centralized management device 2000 that centrally controls the on / off and brightness of the lighting devices 2001 installed in each room, and the control device 63 of the opening device 100 can communicate with the centralized management device 2000 via the communication network N.

[0068] The external illuminance sensor 1001 is installed, for example, on an external wall surface of a building frame in which the opening device 100 is provided, in the vicinity of the opening device 100. Since the external illuminance sensor 1001 is installed outdoors, it is preferable that the sensor be water-resistant and weather-resistant. The external illuminance sensor 1001 has a light receiving element capable of detecting a signal corresponding to the amount of light received, a communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with the communication device 65 of the opening device 100, and a control circuit that converts the detection output of the light receiving element into digital data and transmits it to the communication device 65 via the communication device. The light receiving element is, for example, a phototransistor or a photodiode. The communication device is for the control circuit to perform wireless communication with the outside. The communication device is, for example, one that uses a short-range communication network using radio waves conforming to a protocol such as WiFi or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or one that uses infrared rays. Since the external illuminance sensor 1001 is installed outdoors, it is preferable that the communication device uses radio waves. The control circuit is formed, for example, by a microprocessor. Furthermore, the external illuminance sensor 1001 is equipped with a battery as a power source. The battery may be a rechargeable secondary battery. Also, the external illuminance sensor 1001 may be configured to be connected to an outdoor outlet to utilize AC power. If the external illuminance sensor 1001 is installed near the opening device 100, it may be connected to the opening device 100 by wire. In that case, the external illuminance sensor 1001 may be configured as a minimum of only a light receiving element and its housing.

[0069] The internal illuminance sensor 1002 is preferably installed, for example, in a room of a building in which the opening device 100 is installed, in a location where the user usually stays when present in the room, or in a location where a moderate amount of brightness is required for the user to carry out work or tasks in the room when present (for example, on a work desk, etc.). The internal illuminance sensor 1002 has roughly the same configuration as the external illuminance sensor 1001, but the communication device may be one that uses infrared rays. Also, the internal illuminance sensor 1002 may have low water resistance and weather resistance or may not have any water resistance and weather resistance. The internal illuminance sensor 1002 is also equipped with a battery as a power source, but may be configured to be connected to an indoor outlet to utilize AC power. If the sensor is installed near the opening device 100, it may be connected to the opening device 100 by wire. In that case, the internal illuminance sensor 1002 may be configured as a minimum consisting of only a light receiving element and its housing.

[0070] The temperature sensor 1004 is installed indoors in a building. It is preferable to install the temperature sensor 1004 at a position indoors that is not directly exposed to sunlight. The temperature sensor 1004 has a temperature detection element capable of detecting air temperature, a communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with the communication device 65 of the opening device 100, and a control circuit that converts the detection output of the temperature detection element into digital data and transmits it to the communication device 65 via the communication device. The temperature detection element is a thermocouple, a thermistor, a platinum resistance thermometer, or the like. The communication device is a device that enables the control circuit to perform wireless communication with the outside world. The communication device may be, for example, a device that uses a short-range communication network using radio waves that conforms to protocols such as WiFi or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a device that uses infrared rays. The control circuit is formed, for example, by a microprocessor. The temperature sensor 1004 is equipped with a battery as a power source. The battery may be a rechargeable secondary battery. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 1004 may be configured to be connected to an outdoor outlet to use an AC power source.

[0071] When the control device 63 of the opening device 100 executes a notification process described later, the notification device 1003 receives a command from the control device 63 and executes a notification operation. The notification by the notification device 1003 may be by any method recognizable by a person. For example, the notification device 1003 is configured to include a lamp that lights up to notify, a sound output device such as a speaker or buzzer that generates a notification sound, a display device that notifies with a notification screen or message, etc. The notification device 1003 also includes a communication device that can communicate with the communication device 65 in order to receive a command from the control device 63. Instead of including a communication device, the notification device 1003 may be connected to the opening device 100 by wire. Furthermore, the notification device 1003 may be incorporated into the power unit 60 of the opening device 100 as a part of the configuration of the opening device 100.

[0072] In the case of the opening device 100 used in this light control system 1000, the communication device 65 is preferably a communication device that complies with a protocol that enables communication through the communication network N.

[0073] The centralized management device 2000 is, for example, a server device that is configured around one or more server computers, or a fixed or portable general-purpose computer terminal. The centralized management device 2000 communicates with the opening device 100 through a communication network N. The centralized management device 2000 also controls and manages various types of equipment installed in the building. Here, lighting devices 2001 installed in each room of the building are illustrated as an example of the equipment. The central control device 2000 can control the turning on and off of lighting devices 2001 installed in each room of the building, adjusting the illuminance, etc.

[0074] [Dimming control in dimming systems] The dimming control in the dimming system 1000 will be described with reference to the conceptual diagrams of Fig. 13 to Fig. 15 and the flowchart of Fig. 16. The flowchart of Fig. 16 shows the control performed by the CPU of the control device 63 of the opening device 100 on each component of the dimming system 1000 by executing a predetermined program. This control may be performed repeatedly periodically.

[0075] When the dimming control is started, the CPU of the control device 63 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "CPU") reads the current time from the clock circuit and determines whether the current time is the start time of the dimming control (step S1). The start time of the dimming control is preferably set to, for example, sunrise or later, and to the time when a user starts work or business in a room of the building or a time slightly earlier than that. In addition, the start time may be arbitrarily settable, or the clock circuit of the control device 63 may also have a calendar function, and the control device 63 may perform processing to set the start time to a time determined for each date or a time corresponding to the predicted sunrise time for each date (for example, one hour after sunrise).

[0076] If the current time is not yet the start time, the CPU repeats the judgment, and if the start time is reached, the CPU controls the angle adjustment motor 624 to adjust each dimming panel 51 to a neutral angle (step S3). The neutral angle is defined as an angle at which the front edge and the rear edge of the dimming panel 51 are at the same height and the panel surface of the dimming panel is approximately horizontal.

[0077] Next, the CPU detects the current illuminance outside the building using the external illuminance sensor 1001, and determines whether or not the detected value of the illuminance is equal to or greater than a first external threshold value (step S5). The first external threshold value is smaller than a second external threshold value described later, and is set to a moderate brightness such as that of morning or cloudy days, not as bright as the sunlight on a clear day.

[0078] Then, if the external illuminance does not reach the first external threshold, as shown in FIG. 13, the CPU maintains each dimming panel 51 at a neutral angle (step S7), detects the current indoor illuminance from the internal illuminance sensor 1002, and determines whether the detected illuminance value is equal to or greater than the first internal threshold (step S9). The first internal threshold is set to a brightness appropriate for performing work or tasks indoors.

[0079] If the current indoor illuminance is equal to or greater than the first internal threshold, the CPU checks whether or not a stop instruction for dimming control has been input from the operation device 64 (step S23), and if a stop instruction has been input, ends the dimming control. If a stop instruction has not been input, the CPU determines whether or not a predetermined waiting time has elapsed for waiting for the input of a stop instruction (step S25), and repeats the check of whether or not a stop instruction has been input in step S23 and the check of the elapse of the predetermined waiting time in step S25 until the predetermined waiting time has elapsed. Then, if a stop instruction has been input before the waiting time has elapsed, the dimming control ends. If the waiting time has elapsed without a stop instruction being input, the process returns to step S1, and dimming control is repeated from the beginning again.

[0080] On the other hand, if the current indoor illuminance does not satisfy the first internal threshold, it is determined whether the current angle of each dimmer panel 51 is within the adjustable range in order to adjust the angle of each dimmer panel 51 (step S11). The adjustable range refers to the angle range immediately preceding the range in which the brightness in the room cannot be increased any further even if the angle of the dimmer panel 51 is changed.

[0081] If each dimmer panel 51 is within the adjustable range, the CPU controls the angle adjustment motor 624 to perform fine adjustment by tilting each dimmer panel 51 by a predetermined unit angle toward a direction in which the illuminance in the room can be increased (step S13). After fine-tuning the inclination angle of each dimming panel 51, the CPU detects the indoor temperature using the temperature sensor 1004 and determines whether the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold (step S14). The temperature threshold is set to a temperature that exceeds a comfortable temperature for people in the room, for example.

[0082] If the detected indoor temperature is equal to or greater than the temperature threshold, the CPU advances the process to step S19, which will be described later, and if the detected indoor temperature is less than the temperature threshold, the CPU returns the process to step S9, detects the indoor illuminance again, and determines whether the detected illuminance is equal to or greater than the first internal threshold. If the detected indoor illuminance reaches the first internal threshold, the CPU advances the process to step S23, which has been described above, and if the detected indoor illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold, the CPU again determines whether the current angle of the dimmer panel 51 is within the adjustable range in step S11.

[0083] Then, when each dimming panel 51 is repeatedly fine-tuned by tilting it by a predetermined unit angle and finally falls outside the adjustable range (step S11: NO), the process proceeds to step S21, and the CPU executes a notification process to notify the user that sufficient brightness in the room cannot be ensured by dimming control alone, via the notification device 1003. Alternatively, the CPU transmits a command to the centralized control device 2000 from the communication device 65 through the communication network N, requesting that the lighting device 2001 be turned on or the illuminance be increased. Then, the CPU advances the process to step S23. The process from step S23 onwards is as described above.

[0084] On the other hand, in step S5, if the detection value of the illuminance outside the building by the external illuminance sensor 1001 is equal to or greater than the first external threshold, the CPU further determines whether the detection value of the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold (step S15). The second external threshold is set to a brightness equivalent to strong, clear summer sunlight during the day.

[0085] When the detected value of the external illuminance is less than the second external threshold value, the external illuminance can be judged to be as bright as sunlight on a calm, clear day, and the CPU controls the angle adjustment motor 624 to adjust each dimmer plate 51 to the reflected light capture angle (step S17). The reflected light capture angle refers to the angle at which each dimmer plate 51 reflects sunlight toward the indoor ceiling, as shown in FIG. The room is not directly exposed to sunlight, and the light reflected from the ceiling surface ensures a moderate level of brightness. The angle at which the reflected light is captured may be preset to any angle, or may be set to an angle determined for each day of the month by the calendar function of the clock circuit.

[0086] Then, the CPU advances the process to step S9. The process from step S9 onwards is as described above.

[0087] The first internal threshold when the value is less than the first external threshold in step S5 and the first internal threshold when the value is equal to or greater than the first external threshold in step S5 may be set to different values. In this case, the first internal threshold when the value is equal to or greater than the first external threshold in step S5 may be set to a higher value than the first internal threshold when the value is less than the first external threshold in step S5.

[0088] In addition, in the above-mentioned step S14, if the detected value of the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold value, or in the above-mentioned step S15, if the detected value of the external illuminance is equal to or higher than the second external threshold value, the CPU controls the angle adjustment motor 624 to adjust each dimming plate 51 to a closed angle (step S19). The closed angle refers to an angle at which the rear edge of each dimming plate 51 faces almost directly upward and is close enough to contact the front edge of the dimming plate 51 adjacent above, as shown in FIG.

[0089] When each light control panel 51 is at the closed angle, the entry of external sunlight into the room is almost completely blocked, so that the room becomes noticeably dark. The CPU executes a notification process to notify the user through the notification device 1003 that the sunlight is too strong to be let into the room and therefore the room cannot be controlled to an appropriate brightness by dimming control or that the room temperature has become too high. Alternatively, the CPU transmits a command to the centralized control device 2000 via the communication network N from the communication device 65 to request turning on the lighting device 2001 or increasing the illuminance (step S21). In addition, if the centralized control device 2000 has a function of controlling an air conditioning device that adjusts the temperature in the room, when it is notified that the indoor temperature has become too high, the centralized control device 2000 may send a command to the air conditioning device to lower the set temperature and perform cooling. Then, the process proceeds to step S23, where if a stop command is input within the waiting time, the dimming control is terminated, and if no stop command is input within the waiting time, the process returns to step S1, where the dimming control is repeated from the beginning again.

[0090] In addition, the process of step S11 is exemplified as a process of setting an adjustable range of the angle of the dimming panel 51 and determining whether or not it is within the range, but is not limited thereto. For example, in step S11, it may be determined whether or not the internal illuminance will not decrease beyond the maximum value due to the angle adjustment of the dimming panel 51 in step S13. In that case, if the internal illuminance does not decrease, the process proceeds to step S13, and if the internal illuminance does decrease, the process proceeds to step S21.

[0091] [Technical effect of dimming system] In the above dimming system 1000, when the external illuminance is less than a first external threshold value, the control device 63 of the opening device 100 adjusts the inclination angle of the multiple dimming panels 51 around the horizontal axis to a neutral angle, so that when the external brightness is moderate, it is possible to take in a moderate amount of solar radiation from the outside and adjust the brightness inside the room to a moderate level.

[0092] In addition, when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the first external threshold value and less than the second external threshold value, the control device 63 adjusts the inclination angle of the multiple dimming panels 51 to the angle at which reflected light from outside is captured. Therefore, when there is sufficient sunlight outside, the indoor space is not made excessively bright by sunlight, but the reflected light from the ceiling surface is utilized, making it possible to adjust the indoor space to an appropriate brightness.

[0093] Furthermore, when the external illuminance is equal to or higher than the second external threshold value, the control device 63 adjusts the inclination angle of the multiple dimmer panels 51 around the horizontal axis to a closed angle that blocks light from entering from outside. This allows intense sunlight to be let into the room without making it excessively bright and also suppresses excessive temperature rise due to sunlight, making it possible to adjust the indoor environment to a moderate level.

[0094] In addition, since the control device 63 adjusts the multiple light control panels 51 to the closed angle even when the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold, it is possible to suppress the rise in indoor temperature due to solar radiation and to suppress an excessive rise in indoor temperature. In this case, if an air conditioner is installed indoors, it is possible to reduce the load on the air conditioner and power consumption.

[0095] In addition, the control device 63 executes an alarm process when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold value, so that it is possible to inform users indoors that there is intense sunlight outside the building even in a situation where the conditions outside cannot be seen because multiple dimmer panels 51 are at a closed angle. Furthermore, since the control device 63 also executes the notification process when the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold, it is possible to notify a user inside that the indoor temperature has become too high.

[0096] In addition, the above-mentioned dimming system 1000 is equipped with an internal illuminance sensor 1002 that detects the illuminance inside the building, and when the external illuminance is less than a second external threshold and the internal illuminance is less than a first internal threshold, the control device 63 controls the adjustment of the inclination angle of the multiple dimming panels 51 around the horizontal axis so that the internal illuminance approaches the first internal threshold. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the brightness of the room to a more appropriate level.

[0097] In addition, the control device 63 executes a notification process even when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold value even if the tilt angles of the multiple dimmer panels 51 around the horizontal axis are adjusted, so that it is possible to notify the user when the indoor space is dark even if sunlight is taken in. Therefore, it is possible to make the user aware that measures should be taken to deal with the indoor dark situation, such as turning on the lights.

[0098] In addition, when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold even after adjusting the tilt angle of the multiple dimmer panels 51 around the horizontal axis, the control device 63 outputs a command to turn on the lights or increase the illuminance of the lights. Therefore, when the interior of the building is dark even when sunlight is being let in, it becomes possible to prompt the outside to take measures such as turning on the lights or increasing the illuminance of the lights.

[0099] [Lighting device for dimming system] In the above-described light control system 1000, the lighting device 2001 is controlled by the central control device 2000 as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lighting device may be configured to include a light source, a communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with the communication device 65 of the opening device 100, a control device that turns the light source on and off and increases and decreases the illuminance, and a power supply device that can use an AC power source within the building, and may be configured to be controllable by the control device 63. In this case, the lighting device becomes a part of the configuration of the light control system 1000. When the control device 63 executes the dimming control of FIG. 16 described above, in the processing of step S21, instead of transmitting a command to the centralized management device 2000 requesting that the lighting device 2001 be turned on or the illuminance be increased, the control device 63 can directly control the lighting device to turn on or increase the illuminance. This makes it possible to adjust the brightness of the room to an appropriate level using the lighting device when the brightness of the room cannot be ensured by adjusting the sunlight.

[0100] [Other aspects of the opening device] FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the opening device. As shown in the illustrated opening device 100C, it is also possible to configure the opening device 100C to include an external illuminance sensor 73 and an internal illuminance sensor 74. The opening device 100C has the same configuration as the opening device 100 except for the external illuminance sensor 73 and the internal illuminance sensor 74.

[0101] In this case, the external illuminance sensor 73 and the internal illuminance sensor 74 are composed solely of light receiving elements, and unlike the external illuminance sensor 1001 and the internal illuminance sensor 1002 of the light adjusting system 1000, no communication device, control circuit, or power source such as a battery is required. The external illuminance sensor 73 is attached to the front surface of the inner frame 27 or the inner frame 37 or the front surface of the outer glass 25 or the outer glass 35, and is connected to the power unit 60 by a cable. In addition, the internal illuminance sensor 74 is attached to the rear surface of the window frame 10, the rear surface of the outer screen 20 or the inner screen 30, the rear surface of the housing 68 of the power unit 60, etc., and is connected to the power unit 60 by a cable.

[0102] Furthermore, a temperature sensor other than temperature sensor 1004, excluding a communication device, a control circuit, and a power source such as a battery, may be provided on the indoor side of opening device 100C. With this configuration, the control device 63 can execute the dimming control shown in FIG. 16 described above using only the opening device 100C. It should be noted that a notification device having the same configuration as the notification device 1003 may also be provided in the opening device 100C.

[0103] [others] Above, each embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, a component integrally formed from a single member may be replaced with a component divided into a plurality of members and connected or fixed to each other. Also, a component formed by connecting a plurality of members may be replaced with a component integrally formed from a single member. In addition, the details shown in the embodiments can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0104] For example, the drive mechanism 61 of the lift mechanism 56 and the drive mechanism 62 of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 may be configured to impart up and down movement with a mechanism other than a ball screw mechanism. For example, as in the drive mechanism 61C shown in FIG. 18, the drive mechanism 61C may be configured to include a guide rail 613C that supports the first joint member 611 and the lifting body 612 so that they can slide vertically, rack teeth 616C fixedly mounted on the lifting body 612, a pinion gear 615C that meshes with the rack teeth 616C, and a lifting motor 614C that rotates and drives the pinion gear 615C. In the case of this drive mechanism 61C, by controlling the rotation angle of the lifting motor 614C, the first joint member 611 and the lifting body 612 can be positioned at any position in the vertical direction, and each dimmer plate 51 can be raised or lowered to any height.

[0105] Furthermore, as in the drive mechanism 62C shown in FIG. 19, the drive mechanism 62C may be configured to include a guide rail 623C that supports the second joint member 621 and the lifting body 622 so that they can slide vertically, rack teeth 626C fixedly mounted on the lifting body 622, a pinion gear 625C that meshes with the rack teeth 626C, and an angle adjustment motor 624C that rotates and drives the pinion gear 625C. In the case of this drive mechanism 62C, by controlling the rotation angle of the angle adjustment motor 624C, the second joint member 621 and the lifting body 622 can be positioned at any position in the vertical direction, and each dimmer plate 51 can be adjusted to any angle around the horizontal axis. Also, instead of the pinion gears 615C, 625C, the rack teeth 616C, 626C may be moved up and down as desired by using a worm gear that rotates on a vertical rotation shaft.

[0106] In addition, the drive sources of the drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism 56 and the drive mechanism of the inclination angle adjustment mechanism 57 may be configured with linear motors or linear-acting solenoids or the like that perform linear motion and can arbitrarily control the amount of linear motion movement, and the vertical positions of the first joint member 611 and the second joint member 621 may be arbitrarily controlled by these.

[0107] Furthermore, when the lifting mechanism 56 and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism 57 are arranged separately from each other, the drive mechanisms 61 and 62 may be stored in separate housings. In this case, the control device 63, the operating device 64, the communication device 65, and the battery 67 may be stored in one of the housings, and the other housing may be connected via cables for power supply and transmission of control commands.

[0108] Also, the dimming control of the dimming system 1000 may be performed not by the control device 63 of the opening device 100 but by a control device separate from the opening device 100 that can communicate with each component of the dimming system 1000. Furthermore, in this case, the dimming control may be performed by the centralized management device 2000 or another control device at a remote location via a communication network N or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10 Window frame (opening frame) 20 Outer Shoji Screen 30 Inner Shoji Screen 25,35 Outer glass (first glass) 26,36 Inner glass (second glass) 27,37 Inner frame 51 Dimmer 52 Bottom Rail 53 Lifting cord 54,55 Ladder cord 541 Crossover Thread 56 Lifting mechanism 561 Slide Rail 562 Sliding body 563 Lifting lever 564 Pulley 57 Tilt angle adjustment mechanism 571 Holding part 572 Angle adjustment bracket 573 Frame 60 Power Unit 61,62,61C Drive mechanism 611 First joint member 621 Second joint member 612 Lifting body 613 Ball screw 613C Guide rail 614,614C Lift motor (lift actuator) 615 Recess 615C,625C Pinion gear 616C,626C Rack teeth 622 Lifting body 623 Ball screw 623C Guide Rail 624,624C Angle adjustment motor (angle adjustment actuator) 625 Recess 625C Pinion Gear 626C Rack teeth 63 Control device 64 Operating device 65 Communication Equipment 66 Power supply circuit 67 Battery 68 Case 681 Connector 682 Locking protrusion 71 Remote Controller 72 Solar Panels 73 External illuminance sensor (external illuminance detection section) 74 Internal illuminance sensor (internal illuminance detection section) 100,100C opening device 1000 Dimming System 1001 External illuminance sensor (external illuminance detection unit) 1002 Internal illuminance sensor (internal illuminance detection part) 1003 Notification device 2000 Centralized management device 2001 Lighting equipment N Communication Network

Claims

1. An opening device provided at an opening in a structure of a building, A first glass provided within a frame of an opening frame attached to the opening; A plurality of light control plates are provided vertically in a row on the indoor side of the first glass within the frame of the opening; A tilt angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates around a horizontal axis; a power unit that electrically operates the tilt angle adjustment mechanism, An opening device, characterized in that the power unit is removable from the opening device separately from the inclination angle adjustment mechanism.

2. The opening device according to claim 1, further comprising a second glass provided within the frame of the opening and on the indoor side of the plurality of light control panels.

3. The tilt angle adjustment mechanism has a tilt angle input unit that can manually adjust the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates around a horizontal axis, The opening device according to claim 1 , wherein the power unit operates the tilt angle adjustment mechanism through the tilt angle input portion.

4. A lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the plurality of dimming plates is provided, The opening device according to claim 1 , wherein the power unit electrically operates the lifting mechanism.

5. The lifting mechanism has a lifting input unit that can lift and lower the plurality of dimmer plates by manual operation, The opening device according to claim 4 , wherein the power unit actuates the lifting mechanism through the lifting input.

6. An external illuminance detection unit that detects external illuminance beyond the plurality of dimmer plates, a control device for the tilt angle adjustment mechanism is provided within the power unit; The control device includes: When the external illuminance is less than a first external threshold, the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted horizontally; When the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the first external threshold value and less than a second external threshold value, the inclination angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted to an angle at which reflected light is captured from the outside; An opening device as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold value, the inclination angle of the multiple dimming plates about the horizontal axis is adjusted to a blocking angle that blocks light from the outside.

7. The opening device according to claim 6 , wherein the control device executes a notification process when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold value.

8. An internal illuminance detection unit is provided that detects an internal illuminance of the light source unit relative to the plurality of light control panels, The opening device described in claim 6, characterized in that when the external illuminance is less than the second external threshold and the internal illuminance is less than the first internal threshold, the control device adjusts the inclination angle of the multiple dimming plates about the horizontal axis so that the internal illuminance approaches the first internal threshold.

9. The opening device according to claim 8, characterized in that the control device executes an alarm process when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold value even when the inclination angles of the multiple dimming panels about the horizontal axis are adjusted.

10. The opening device described in claim 8, characterized in that the control device outputs a command to turn on the lights or increase the illuminance of the lights when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold even when the inclination angles of the multiple dimmer plates about the horizontal axis are adjusted.

11. An opening device according to claim 1; an external illuminance detection unit that detects an illuminance outside the building; A control device for the opening device, The control device includes: When the external illuminance is less than a first external threshold, the tilt angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted horizontally; When the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the first external threshold value and less than a second external threshold value, the inclination angles of the plurality of dimming plates about a horizontal axis are adjusted to an angle at which reflected light is captured from the outside; A dimming system characterized by adjusting the inclination angle of the multiple dimming plates about a horizontal axis to a closing angle that blocks light from entering from outside when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold.

12. The light control system according to claim 11 , wherein the control device executes a notification process when the external illuminance is equal to or greater than the second external threshold value.

13. An internal illuminance detection unit that detects the illuminance inside the building, The dimming system of claim 11, characterized in that when the external illuminance is less than the second external threshold and the internal illuminance is less than a first internal threshold, the control device adjusts the inclination angles of the multiple dimming panels about a horizontal axis so that the internal illuminance approaches the first internal threshold.

14. The dimming system according to claim 13, characterized in that the control device executes an alarm process when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold value even when the inclination angles of the multiple dimming panels around the horizontal axis are adjusted.

15. The dimming system of claim 13, characterized in that the control device outputs a command to turn on a light or increase the illuminance of a light when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold even when the inclination angle of the multiple dimming plates about the horizontal axis is adjusted.

16. A communication-enabled lighting device is provided inside the structure; The dimming system according to claim 13 , wherein the control device outputs a command to the lighting device to turn on or increase the illuminance of the lighting device when the internal illuminance does not reach the first internal threshold value.

17. A temperature detection unit is provided for detecting a temperature inside the building, The dimming system of claim 11, characterized in that the control device adjusts the inclination angle of the multiple dimming panels around the horizontal axis to a closed angle that blocks light from entering from outside, even when light is being let in from outside and the internal temperature is equal to or higher than a temperature threshold value.

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