Electric opening and closing body

Abstract

To provide a technique for accurately and easily detecting an overload state.SOLUTION: An electrically-driven unit 80 outputs rotating power to a winding shaft which can wind a shutter curtain. A current control part 422 controls a value for a current to rotate the electrically-driven unit 80. A first detection part 416 detects the rotating speed per unit time of the electrically-driven unit 80. A third detection part 428 detects a load variation of the shutter curtain on the basis of a change of the rotating speed detected by the first detection part 416 when the value for the current is limited to a fixed value or lower by the current control part 422.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an opening / closing body technology and more particularly to an electric opening / closing body that is electrically opened and closed.

Background Art

[0002] An electric shutter device requires a mechanism that prevents people or the like from being accidentally drawn into the shutter. That is, if the operation of the shutter curtain is obstructed by an obstacle or the like, the motor may be overloaded, so a device that detects an overload state in which the motor is overloaded is required. For example, the position information of the shutter curtain and the current information related to the load state of the motor are stored in association with each other, and when the current value measured in the operating state deviates from the current information corresponding to the position information at that time, the overload state is detected (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the prior art, it is necessary to previously associate and store the position information of the shutter curtain and the current information related to the load state of the motor. On the other hand, it is desired that the overload state be detected accurately and simply.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for accurately and simply detecting an overload state.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electric opening and closing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an electric unit that outputs rotational power to a winding shaft capable of winding up a shutter curtain; a control unit that controls the value of the current for rotating the electric unit; a rotation speed detection unit that detects the number of rotations per unit time of the electric unit; and a load fluctuation detection unit that, when the value of the current is limited to a certain value or less in the control unit, detects load fluctuations of the shutter curtain based on the change in rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit.

[0007] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, or any conversion of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, apparatus, systems, computer programs, or recording media on which computer programs are recorded, are also valid forms of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, overload conditions can be detected accurately and easily. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show the structure of the shutter system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show the internal structure of the shutter system. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the shutter system in Figure 1(a)-(b). [Figure 4] Figures 4(a)-(c) show an overview of the operation of the electrification unit shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a)-(c) are flowcharts showing the detection procedure by the electric unit shown in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Before specifically describing the embodiments of this disclosure, an overview of these embodiments will be provided. The embodiments relate to a shutter system installed in openings of facilities such as houses. The shutter system is an electric shutter, which automates the shutter operation. Generally, when the shutter curtain is open and the user presses the "close" button once, the electric shutter continues to close until the slats of the shutter curtain reach the bottom. Since the electric shutter automatically closes over several tens of seconds, it is assumed that the user does not see the operation of the electric shutter. In this case, the user will not notice if the electric shutter catches an obstacle. Therefore, a function is desired in the electric shutter to "detect when an obstacle is caught."

[0011] In motor-driven products such as electric shutters, an increase in motor current is used to detect obstruction. Specifically, when an obstruction is caught, the motor load increases, causing the motor current to rise. When this increase in motor current exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that an obstruction has occurred. However, even during normal operation, there are load fluctuations due to mechanical factors, so the motor current is not constant but has a certain range. To prevent malfunctions during normal operation, it is common practice to set the predetermined value for detecting obstruction in the motor current to several times the motor current value during normal operation. Therefore, the motor's power supply circuit requires several times the power supply capacity during normal operation, leading to increased costs for the power supply circuit.

[0012] To accurately and easily detect obstruction, i.e., an overload condition, the shutter system according to this embodiment performs a current limiting operation to prevent the motor current from exceeding a certain value. If the motor rotation speed falls below a threshold during the current limiting operation, obstruction is detected. This allows for detection of obstruction without excessively increasing the motor current.

[0013] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show the structure of the shutter system 1000. Figure 1(a) shows the configuration of the facility as viewed from the outside, and Figure 1(b) shows the configuration of the facility as viewed from the inside. The shutter system 1000 includes a guide rail 20, a shutter curtain 30, a shutter case 40, a communication line 200, and a controller 300, and the shutter curtain 30 includes slats 32. Here, the guide rail 20, the shutter curtain 30, and the shutter case 40 are included in the shutter.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1(a), the shutter, which is an opening and closing mechanism, is installed in an opening 10 formed in the exterior wall that separates the interior and exterior of a facility such as a house or building. The opening 10 is a space that connects the interior and exterior of the facility. The two guide rails 20 have a shape that extends in the vertical direction and are fixed to the frame material such as a sash installed in the opening 10 and the exterior wall, spaced apart from each other on both sides of the opening 10 in the left-right direction. Each guide rail 20 is a hollow member with an internal structure that is approximately U-shaped in cross-section, and the two guide rails 20 are fixed so that the U-shaped openings face each other.

[0015] The shutter curtain 30 moves up and down along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20, opening and closing the opening 10. Specifically, both left and right ends of the shutter curtain 30 are inserted into the guide rail 20, so that both left and right ends of the shutter curtain 30 can move up and down by the guide rail 20. The shutter curtain 30 is composed of a combination of multiple slats 32. Each slat 32 is a plate-shaped member that extends along the left and right direction of the opening 10, and is made of, for example, steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. Each slat 32 is provided with a curled portion (not shown) at its upper and lower ends, and the curled portion at the lower end of the upper slat 32 and the curled portion at the upper end of the lower slat 32 of two adjacent slats 32 are rotatably connected.

[0016] The shutter case 40 is a housing with a substantially rectangular vertical cross-section, located above the opening 10 and the guide rail 20. The shutter case 40 has a storage space inside, and the storage space is connected to the outside through a through hole provided on the bottom surface of the shutter case 40. The storage space is provided with a winding mechanism for winding up or unwinding the shutter curtain 30 through the through hole. Here, "winding up" means that the shutter curtain 30 rises along the guide rail 20 and the opening 10 is opened, and "unwinding" means that the shutter curtain 30 descends along the guide rail 20 and the opening 10 is closed.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1(b), a sash 12 is installed to surround the opening 10. The communication line 200 connected to the shutter case 40 in Figure 1(a) is embedded inside the sash 12 and extends into the room. A controller 300 is installed on the wall inside the room, and the communication line 200 is connected to the controller 300. In this way, the communication line 200 connects the motorization unit 100 installed outdoors with the controller 300 installed indoors.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the internal structure of the shutter system 1000. The shutter system 1000 includes a shutter curtain 30, a shutter case 40, and a winding shaft 60. The shutter curtain 30 includes slats 32 and screws 34, and the shutter case 40 includes a first bracket 42a and a second bracket 42b, collectively referred to as bracket 42, and a first support shaft 44a and a second support shaft 44b, collectively referred to as support shaft 44. The winding shaft 60 includes a first rotating frame 62a and a second rotating frame 62b, collectively referred to as rotating frame 62, a driven wheel 64, a winding spring 66, a fixed part 72, and an electric motor unit 80. The electric motor unit 80 includes a main body 82 and a drive wheel 84, and the main body 82 includes a motor 86, a control unit 88, a reduction gear 90, and a communication line 200.

[0019] Here, the shutter case 40 is shown transparently to illustrate its internal structure. In the shutter case 40, a take-up shaft 60, which is a cylindrical support extending in the left and right directions of the guide rail 20 in Fig. 1(a), is arranged. A plurality of fixing portions 72 are provided on the take-up shaft 60, and the shutter curtain 30 is fixed to the plurality of fixing portions 72 using a plurality of screws 34. Therefore, it can be said that the take-up shaft 60 is a shaft capable of winding up the shutter curtain 30.

[0020] At the left and right ends of the storage space of the shutter case 40, a first bracket 42a and a second bracket 42b, collectively referred to as brackets 42, are provided so as to sandwich the take-up shaft 60 from the left and right. Specifically, the first bracket 42a is arranged on the left side of the take-up shaft 60, and the second bracket 42b is arranged on the right side of the take-up shaft 60. The first bracket 42a is a support portion that rotatably supports the left end portion of the take-up shaft 60, and the second bracket 42b is a support portion that rotatably supports the right end portion of the take-up shaft 60. When the left end portion of the take-up shaft 60 is referred to as the "first end portion", the right end portion of the take-up shaft 60 is referred to as the "second end portion".

[0021] On the right side surface of the first bracket 42a, a first support shaft 44a protruding toward the right is provided. The first support shaft 44a has a cylindrical shape, and a first rotating frame 62a is fitted to the side surface of the first support shaft 44a. The first rotating frame 62a is disposed at the left end portion of the winding shaft 60 and has a shape surrounding the side surface of the first support shaft 44a. With such a structure, the first rotating frame 62a rotates around the first support shaft 44a fixed to the first bracket 42a. On the left side surface of the second bracket 42b, a second support shaft 44b protruding toward the left is provided. The second support shaft 44b has a cylindrical shape, and a second rotating frame 62b is fitted to the side surface of the second support shaft 44b. The second rotating frame 62b is disposed at the right end portion of the winding shaft 60 and has a shape surrounding the side surface of the second support shaft 44b. With such a structure, the second rotating frame 62b rotates around the second support shaft 44b fixed to the second bracket 42b. Further, the winding shaft 60 also rotates by the rotation of the first rotating frame 62a and the second rotating frame 62b.

[0022] In the right region inside the winding shaft 60, a holding portion (not shown) is disposed, and an electrified unit 80 is attached to the holding portion. The electrified unit 80 is an electric device (electric part) that outputs rotational power to the winding shaft 60. The electrified unit 80 includes a main body 82 having a cylindrical shape and a drive wheel 84 disposed on the left side of the main body 82. Such a drive wheel 84 can also be said to face the central side of the winding shaft 60 in the electrified unit 80. Inside the main body 82, a motor 86, a control unit 88, and a speed reducer 90 are mounted, and the speed reducer 90 and the drive wheel 84 also rotate by the rotation of the motor 86. The control unit 88 controls the rotation of the motor 86. In particular, the control unit 88 controls the value of the current for rotating the motor 86 of the electrified unit 80.

[0023] Inside the winding shaft 60, a driven wheel 64 is provided in the area to the left of the holding section, that is, the area on the central side of the winding shaft 60 relative to the motorization unit 80. The driven wheel 64 is positioned to the left of the drive wheel 84 and rotates with the rotation of the drive wheel 84 when combined with it. The winding shaft 60 also rotates with the rotation of the driven wheel 64. As a result, it can be said that the winding shaft 60 rotates due to the rotational power from the motorization unit 80. On the other hand, when the drive wheel 84 and the driven wheel 64 are not combined, the winding shaft 60 rotates not with the rotational power from the motorization unit 80, but with manual rotational power. The explanation of manual rotation of the winding shaft 60 is omitted.

[0024] Here, the holding part holds a portion of the side of the main body 82, for example, the portion of the side of the main body 82 including the lower side. The right end of the holding part is connected to the second support shaft 44b. This connection fixes the holding part to the second bracket 42b, so even if the winding shaft 60 rotates, the main body 82 held by the holding part does not rotate.

[0025] To explain in more detail, in the main body 82 of the motorization unit 80, the motor 86 rotates under the control of the control unit 88. The reduction gear 90 amplifies the torque of the rotational power of the motor 86. Any known technology can be used for the reduction gear 90, but for example, it has a structure in which multiple planetary gears rotate and revolve around a sun gear. When the drive wheel 84 rotates due to the rotation of the reduction gear 90, the driven wheel 64 paired with the drive wheel 84 also rotates, and the winding shaft 60 rotates.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1(a), when the winding shaft 60 rotates in the winding direction from the fully closed state in which the shutter curtain 30 closes the opening 10, the shutter curtain 30 is wound up along the outer surface of the winding shaft 60, opening the opening 10. If this rotation continues, the shutter curtain 30 is wound up while being stacked on top of the shutter curtain 30 that was wound up in the first rotation, opening the entire area of ​​the opening 10. Also, when the winding shaft 60 rotates in the unwinding direction from the fully open state in which the shutter curtain 30 opens the opening 10, the shutter curtain 30 stacked on the outer surface of the winding shaft 60 is unwinded sequentially. If this rotation continues, the shutter curtain 30 closes the entire area of ​​the opening 10.

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the shutter system 1000. The shutter system 1000 includes an electric motor unit 80, a communication line 200, and a controller 300. The electric motor unit 80 includes a motor 86 and a control unit 88, the control unit 88 including a first connection unit 410, a first wired communication unit 412, a position control unit 414, a first detection unit 416, a speed control unit 418, a differential unit 420, a current control unit 422, a second detection unit 424, and a third detection unit 428. The controller 300 includes an operation unit 310, an operation control unit 312, a second wired communication unit 314, and a second connection unit 316.

[0028] The operating section 310 of the controller 300 is a user interface with multiple buttons that accepts user input. The surface of the controller 300 is provided with an open button, a stop button, and a close button. The open button, stop button, and close button are, for example, planar switches. The open button is a button that accepts an instruction to move the shutter curtain 30 to open the opening 10 (hereinafter referred to as an "open instruction"). The stop button is a button that accepts an instruction to stop the moving shutter curtain 30 (hereinafter referred to as a "stop instruction"). The close button is a button that accepts an instruction to move the shutter curtain 30 to close the opening 10 (hereinafter referred to as a "close instruction"). When one of the open button, stop button, or close button is pressed down, an operation signal corresponding to one of the open instruction, stop instruction, or close instruction is output from the operating section 310 to the operation control unit 312.

[0029] The operation control unit 312 receives an operation signal from the operation unit 310. The operation control unit 312 generates an instruction signal that includes one of the open instruction, stop instruction, or close instruction indicated in the operation signal. The second wired communication unit 314 receives the instruction signal from the operation control unit 312 and transmits the instruction signal to the motorization unit 80 via the second connection unit 316 and the communication line 200.

[0030] The second connection section 316 is an interface for connecting the communication line 200 to the controller 300. Similarly, the first connection section 410 of the motorization unit 80 is also an interface for connecting the communication line 200. When the communication line 200 is connected to both the second connection section 316 and the first connection section 410, the communication line 200 connects the controller 300 and the motorization unit 80. Through this connection, the communication line 200 transmits instruction signals from the controller 300 to the motorization unit 80. Since the controller 300 is installed indoors and the motorization unit 80 is installed outdoors, instruction signals are transmitted from indoors to outdoors.

[0031] The first wired communication unit 412 receives an instruction signal from the second wired communication unit 314 via the second connection unit 316, the communication line 200, and the first connection unit 410. The first wired communication unit 412 outputs one of the open instruction, stop instruction, or close instruction included in the instruction signal to the position control unit 414. The position control unit 414 receives one of the open instruction, stop instruction, or close instruction from the first wired communication unit 412.

[0032] The position control unit 414 updates the target value of the position (lower end position) of the shutter curtain 30 according to one of the received open, stop, or close instructions. For example, if the position control unit 414 receives an open instruction, it updates the target value to a higher value than the previous one. The position control unit 414 also receives a feedback value of the position of the shutter curtain 30 from the first detection unit 416. The method for detecting the feedback value of the position in the first detection unit 416 will be described later. Here, the position of the shutter curtain 30 may be expressed as the rotation angle of the motor 86, but in the following explanation, the angle will also be included in the position for clarity. The position control unit 414 derives the position deviation by subtracting the feedback value from the target value, and then performs position loop control by multiplying the position deviation by the position gain to derive the target value of the speed.

[0033] The differentiation unit 420 receives a feedback value of the position of the shutter curtain 30 from the first detection unit 416 and derives a feedback value of velocity by differentiating the feedback value of position. The differentiation unit 420 outputs the feedback value of velocity to the velocity control unit 418. The velocity control unit 418 receives a target velocity value from the position control unit 414 and the feedback value of velocity from the differentiation unit 420. The velocity control unit 418 derives a velocity deviation by subtracting the feedback value of velocity from the target velocity value, and then performs velocity loop processing such as proportional / integral control to derive a target value of torque (current).

[0034] The current control unit 422 receives a target torque (current) value from the speed control unit 418. The magnitude of the current output from the current control unit 422 to the motor 86, that is, the total current flowing through the motor 86 of the motorization unit 80, is detected by the second detection unit 424, and the current control unit 422 receives the detected current feedback value. The second detection unit 424 is configured, for example, by a shunt resistor. The current control unit 422 determines the magnitude of the current to be output to the motor 86 so that the current feedback value approaches the target torque (current) value. Known techniques can be used for this determination. In other words, the speed control unit 418 and the current control unit 422 determine the value of the current required to rotate the motor 86 according to the change in position, that is, the speed, detected by the first detection unit 416.

[0035] The motor 86 rotates at a speed corresponding to the value of the current output from the current control unit 422. The motor 86 outputs rotational power to the winding shaft 60. If the motor 86 is a three-phase brushless motor, the current control unit 422 outputs a three-phase DC current.

[0036] With this configuration, the control unit 88 rotates the motor 86 so that the winding shaft 60 rotates in the winding direction when the control signal corresponds to an open instruction, and rotates the motor 86 so that the winding shaft 60 rotates in the unwinding direction when the control signal corresponds to a close instruction. In these cases, the rotation direction of the motor 86 is reversed. On the other hand, the control unit 88 stops the rotation of the motor 86 when the control signal corresponds to a stop instruction. The motor 86 rotates in accordance with the control unit 88 and supplies power to the shutter curtain 30 that opens and closes the opening 10, the winding shaft 60, etc.

[0037] When the shutter curtain 30 is opened and closed according to the rotation direction of the motor 86, the position of the shutter curtain 30 is detected by the first detection unit 416. The first detection unit 416 is configured as a counter-type limit switch, for example, provided on the side of the motor 86, which mechanically counts the rotation speed of the motor 86 to detect the open / closed position or upper / lower limit position. Alternatively, the first detection unit 416 may be configured to detect the open / closed position or upper / lower limit position of the shutter curtain 30 by counting pulses using an encoder provided on the motor 86. Furthermore, the first detection unit 416 may be configured as a current detection circuit for the motor 86, which detects the open / closed position or upper / lower limit position from the change in current value corresponding to the load fluctuation applied to the motor 86. In addition, the first detection unit 416 may be a mechanical or electrical limit switch provided above and below the guide rail 20 that directly detects the open / closed position or upper / lower limit position of the shutter curtain 30. The position detected by the first detection unit 416 is output to the position control unit 414 and the differential unit 420.

[0038] The following describes the situation in which an obstacle is caught by the shutter curtain 30 when the close button on the controller 300 is pressed down and the shutter curtain 30 is extended. Figures 4(a)-(c) show an overview of the operation of the motorized unit 80. Figure 4(a) shows the time change of the load on the motor 86. From time 0 to T1, no obstacle is caught by the shutter curtain 30. Therefore, the load is almost constant and the shutter curtain 30 is extended. When an obstacle is caught by the shutter curtain 30 at time T1, the load on the motor 86 increases. For example, the load on the motor 86 increases until time T2. This can be said to be a situation in which the shutter curtain 30 is not extended due to the occurrence of an obstacle being caught.

[0039] Figure 4(b) shows the time variation of the magnitude of the current output to the motor 86, that is, the magnitude of the current detected by the second detection unit 424. From time 0 to T1, since no obstruction is caught by the shutter curtain 30, the magnitude of the current is almost constant. When an obstruction is caught by the shutter curtain 30 at time T1, the current increases along the dotted line. This is because, in a situation where the load on the motor 86 is increasing, control is made to extend the shutter curtain 30, so the current output to the motor 86 increases. As mentioned above, several times the power supply capacity during normal operation is required to supply such a current.

[0040] To address this, the current control unit 422 in Figure 3 prevents the current from increasing beyond the limit when the magnitude of the current detected by the second detection unit 424 reaches the limit at time T2 in Figure 4(b). As a result, the current increases along the solid line from time T1. This corresponds to the current value being limited to a certain value or less by the current control unit 422. The magnitude of the current detected by the second detection unit 424 also shows the limit value in Figure 4(b).

[0041] Figure 4(c) shows the time variation of the rotational speed per unit time of the motor 86. At time T2, the value of the current is limited to below a certain value, so no energy is supplied to overcome the load on the motor 86. As a result, when the value of the current is limited to below a certain value, the rotational speed of the motor 86 cannot be maintained and decreases. The first detection unit 416 in Figure 3 detects the rotational speed per unit time of the motor 86 using the encoder described above. Alternatively, the first detection unit 416 may detect the rotational speed per unit time of the motor 86 using a Hall element or sensorless control. Sensorless control corresponds to estimation from the motor back electromotive force waveform. Known techniques can be used for detecting these rotational speeds, so a detailed explanation is omitted here. The first detection unit 416 can also be called a rotational speed detection unit. The first detection unit 416 outputs the detected rotational speed value to the third detection unit 428.

[0042] The third detection unit 428 receives the current value from the second detection unit 424 and the rotational speed value from the first detection unit 416. The third detection unit 428 determines that the current value is limited to a certain value if the current value falls within a predetermined range relative to the aforementioned limit. Furthermore, if the current value is limited to a certain value and the rotational speed is below a threshold, the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation in the shutter curtain 30. In other words, the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation in the shutter curtain 30 based on the change in rotational speed when the current value is limited to a certain value. This corresponds to detecting the occurrence of pinching by the shutter curtain 30. Alternatively, this may correspond to detecting the shutter curtain 30 reaching its upper limit position or its lower limit position.

[0043] Such a third detection unit 428 can be described as a load fluctuation detection unit. When the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation, it notifies the current control unit 422 of the occurrence of the load fluctuation. When the current control unit 422 is notified of the occurrence of a load fluctuation from the third detection unit 428, it controls the motor 86 to stop its rotation or reverse its rotation. In addition, the user may be notified by a lamp or buzzer in response to the notification of the occurrence of a load fluctuation.

[0044] The processing in the shutter system 1000 described above may be carried out as follows. In the first modified example, the current value detected in the second detection unit 424 may be the torque component. When the motor 86 is a three-phase brushless motor, the three phases of DC current output to the three-phase brushless motor are denoted as the u-phase, v-phase, and w-phase. Furthermore, the three-phase brushless motor rotates as the combined vector of the current vectors of each phase periodically changes angle.

[0045] The second detection unit 424 receives the current vectors of the u, v, and w phases and performs a two-axis transformation on them to the q and d axes. Since this transformation can be performed using known matrix operations, a detailed explanation is omitted here. Here, the d axis represents the excitation component and the q axis represents the torque component. The composite vector is transformed by the two-axis transformation into a combination of the excitation vector in the d-axis direction and the torque vector in the q-axis direction. This is equivalent to transforming the three-phase currents in a three-phase brushless motor into a combination of excitation and torque components. Of the excitation and torque components, the torque component has the characteristic of being proportional to the load due to the external force. In other words, the torque component reflects the change in the torque of the total load.

[0046] In the second modified example, the load fluctuation detection conditions in the third detection unit 428 may be different. The third detection unit 428 receives the current value from the second detection unit 424 and the rotational speed value from the first detection unit 416. When the current value is within a predetermined range relative to a certain limit value as described above, the third detection unit 428 measures the period during which the rotational speed decreases from the moment the current value falls within the predetermined range. The moment the current value falls within the predetermined range is the moment when the current value, which was not within the predetermined range, falls within the predetermined range. When a certain period of time has elapsed since the measurement period, the third detection unit 428 detects the load fluctuation of the shutter curtain 30.

[0047] In the third modified example, the load fluctuation detection conditions in the third detection unit 428 may also be different. The current control unit 422 outputs the target value of the received current to the third detection unit 428. The third detection unit 428 receives the current value from the current control unit 422 and the rotational speed value from the first detection unit 416. The third detection unit 428 stores a table showing the correspondence between the target value of the current and the target value of the rotational speed, and converts the received target value of the current to the target value of the rotational speed by referring to this table. A different method may be used to convert the target value of the current to the target value of the rotational speed. The third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation of the shutter curtain 30 if the difference between the target value of the rotational speed and the received rotational speed is greater than or equal to a threshold. When the discrepancy between the target value of the rotational speed and the received rotational speed is large, it corresponds to a situation where the motor 86 cannot be controlled, which can be said to be a situation where the current has not increased beyond the limit.

[0048] The subject of the apparatus, system, or method in this disclosure comprises a computer. The functions of the subject of the apparatus, system, or method in this disclosure are realized by the computer executing a program. The computer comprises a processor as its main hardware component, which operates according to the program. The processor is of any type as long as it can realize its functions by executing the program. The processor consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or LSIs (Large Scale Integrations). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be aggregated in one device or provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a ROM, optical disc, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0049] The operation of the shutter system 1000 with the above configuration will now be explained. Figures 5(a)-(c) are flowcharts showing the detection procedure by the motorized unit 80. In Figure 5(a), if the current value is limited (Y in S10) and the rotation speed is below the threshold (Y in S12), the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation (S14). If the current value is not limited (N in S10) or the rotation speed is not below the threshold (N in S12), the process is terminated.

[0050] In Figure 5(b), if the current value is limited (Y in S50) and the rotational speed decreases for a certain period of time (Y in S52), the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation (S54). If the current value is not limited (N in S50) or if the rotational speed does not decrease for a certain period of time (N in S52), the process is terminated.

[0051] In Figure 5(c), the third detection unit 428 acquires a target value (S100) and the rotational speed (S102). If the difference between the target value and the rotational speed is greater than or equal to a threshold (Y in S104), the third detection unit 428 detects a load fluctuation (S106). If the difference between the target value and the rotational speed is not greater than or equal to a threshold (N in S104), the process is terminated.

[0052] According to this embodiment, when the current value is limited to below a certain value, load fluctuations of the shutter curtain 30 are detected based on changes in rotational speed, thus improving the accuracy of load fluctuation detection while keeping the capacity of the power supply circuit low. Furthermore, because the accuracy of load fluctuation detection is improved while keeping the capacity of the power supply circuit low, overload conditions can be detected accurately and easily. In addition, when the current value is limited to below a certain value, load fluctuations of the shutter curtain 30 are detected when the rotational speed decreases for a certain period of time, so the time until detection can be set to be short. Furthermore, when the difference between the detected rotational speed and the target value is greater than or equal to a threshold, load fluctuations of the shutter curtain 30 are detected, so load fluctuations can be detected accurately. Furthermore, when the current value is limited to below a certain value, load fluctuations of the shutter curtain 30 are detected when the rotational speed is below a threshold, so load fluctuations can be detected accurately.

[0053] Furthermore, since the current value is the total current flowing through the motorized unit 80, the current value can be easily detected. Also, since the current value is the torque component, the current value can be accurately detected. In addition, since the load fluctuation of the shutter curtain 30 is caused by pinching by the shutter curtain 30, the safety function can be reliably executed. Also, since the load fluctuation of the shutter curtain 30 is caused by reaching the upper limit position or the lower limit position of the shutter curtain 30, the upper and lower limit positions can be reliably set.

[0054] An outline of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows: An electrically operated opener (1000) in one aspect of the present disclosure includes: an electric unit (80) that outputs rotational power to a winding shaft (60) capable of winding up a shutter curtain (30); a control unit (422) that controls the value of the current for rotating the electric unit (80); a rotation speed detection unit (416) that detects the number of rotations per unit time of the electric unit (80); and a load fluctuation detection unit (428) that detects load fluctuations of the shutter curtain (30) based on the change in rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit (416) when the value of the current is limited to a certain value or less in the control unit (422).

[0055] The load fluctuation detection unit (428) may detect a load fluctuation in the shutter curtain (30) when the current value is limited to a certain value or less by the control unit (422) and the decrease in rotational speed detected by the rotational speed detection unit (416) has occurred for a certain period of time.

[0056] The load fluctuation detection unit (428) may detect a load fluctuation in the shutter curtain (30) if the difference between the rotational speed detected by the rotational speed detection unit (416) and the target value is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

[0057] The load fluctuation detection unit (428) may detect a load fluctuation in the shutter curtain (30) if the current value is limited to a certain value or less by the control unit (422) and the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit (416) is below a threshold value.

[0058] The value of the current may also be the value of the total current flowing through the motorized part (80).

[0059] The electric unit (80) may include a three-phase brushless motor. The current value may be the torque component obtained by converting the three-phase currents of the three-phase brushless motor into a combination of excitation and torque components.

[0060] The load fluctuations of the shutter curtain (30) detected by the load fluctuation detection unit (428) may be caused by pinching by the shutter curtain (30).

[0061] The load fluctuations of the shutter curtain (30) detected by the load fluctuation detection unit (428) may occur when the shutter curtain (30) reaches its upper limit position or its lower limit position.

[0062] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible for each component or combination of processing steps, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Opening, 12 Sash, 20 Guide rail, 30 Shutter curtain, 32 Slat, 34 Screw, 40 Shutter case, 42 Bracket, 44 Support shaft, 60 Winding shaft, 62 Rotating frame, 64 Driven wheel, 66 Winding spring, 72 Fixed part, 80 Motorization unit, 82 Main body, 84 Drive wheel, 86 Motor, 88 Control unit, 90 Reducer, 200 Communication line, 300 Controller, 310 Operating unit, 312 Operation control unit, 314 Second wired communication unit, 316 Second connection unit, 410 First connection unit, 412 First wired communication unit, 414 Position control unit, 416 First detection unit, 418 Speed ​​control unit, 420 Differential unit, 422 Current control unit, 424 Second detection unit, 428 Third detection unit, 1000 Shutter system.

Claims

1. an electric motor that outputs rotational power to a winding shaft that can wind up the shutter curtain; a control unit that controls a value of a current for rotating the motor unit; a rotation speed detection unit that detects the rotation speed per unit time of the electric motor; a load fluctuation detection unit that detects a load fluctuation of the shutter curtain based on a change in the number of rotations detected by the number of rotations detection unit when the value of the current is limited to a certain value or less in the control unit; An electric opening and closing body comprising:

2. The electric opening / closing body described in claim 1, wherein the load fluctuation detection unit detects a load fluctuation of the shutter curtain when the decrease in the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit has continued for a certain period of time when the value of the current is limited to a certain value or less in the control unit.

3. The electrically operated opening / closing body according to claim 1 , wherein the load fluctuation detection unit detects a load fluctuation of the shutter curtain when a difference between the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit and a target value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

4. The electric opening / closing body described in claim 1, wherein the load fluctuation detection unit detects a load fluctuation of the shutter curtain when the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit is below a threshold value when the value of the current is limited to a certain value or less in the control unit.

5. The electric opening / closing body according to claim 1 , wherein the value of the current is a value of a total current flowing through the electric parts.

6. The electric motor includes a three-phase brushless motor, The electric opening / closing body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the current value is a torque component when three-phase currents in the three-phase brushless motor are converted into a combination of an excitation component and a torque component.

7. The electrically operated opening / closing body according to claim 1 , wherein the load fluctuation of the shutter curtain detected by the load fluctuation detection unit is caused by pinching by the shutter curtain.

8. An electric opening / closing body as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the load fluctuation of the shutter curtain detected by the load fluctuation detection unit occurs when the shutter curtain reaches its upper limit position or its lower limit position.

9. A program for causing the electric opening / closing body according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to execute the program.

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