Opening and closing device for an opening / closing body and its control method

Abstract

The present invention provides an opening / closing device and a control method thereof that can prevent erroneous detection of the origin position while suppressing the shift in the origin position caused by the stopping position of the opening / closing body after power-on. [Solution] In the origin return operation mode S1, the opening / closing device 1 of the opening / closing body 10 detects when a fault has started to occur by a first threshold R1 during the period from the start of the opening operation until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, or during the period until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed and the subsequent second waiting time WT2 has elapsed, and stores the initial detection position as the first position P1. After the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, if the first position has already been stored at that point or before the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed, and the second threshold R2 detects that a fault is occurring, the first position P1 is set as the origin position OP. If the first threshold R1 detects when a fault has started to occur thereafter, the detection position, the second position P2, is set as the origin position OP.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing device for an opening / closing body such as various shutters installed in openings of buildings and structures such as houses, buildings, factories, warehouses, and garages, and a control method therefor.

Background Art

[0002] An opening / closing device for an opening / closing body includes a motor for performing an opening / closing operation of the opening / closing body, a position detection unit for detecting an opening / closing position of the opening / closing body in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, and an operation input unit for inputting an operation signal for opening / closing or stopping the opening / closing body. The motor is controlled based on the operation signal from the operation input unit and the position information detected by the position detection unit, thereby performing the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing body. In such an opening / closing device for an opening / closing body, various methods are used to correctly recognize the opening / closing position of the opening / closing body.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an opening / closing device for an opening / closing body such as a shutter opening / closing machine that detects the opening / closing position of the opening / closing body based on the count value of the motor rotation pulse without using components such as a potentiometer or a home sensor as means for position detection. In this opening / closing device for an opening / closing body, the position where it is detected that the opening / closing body cannot move any further in the opening direction by the opening operation in the home return operation mode executed before the normal operation mode is defined as the home position. Here, the case where it is detected that the opening / closing body cannot move any further in the opening direction specifically means that the seat plate member at the lower end of the opening / closing body abuts against the nose portion of the storage portion of the opening / closing body, and the rotation of the motor is mechanically locked. Hereinafter, the method of the home return operation for detecting the home position by abutting the seat plate member of the opening / closing body against the nose portion by the opening operation after power-on, like the opening / closing device for the opening / closing body described in Patent Document 1, is called the nose abutting method, and the state where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the nose portion is called the nose abutting state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6952232 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the opening and closing device for an opening / closing body described in Patent Document 1, the first position and second position, which are stored by detecting that the opening / closing body cannot move any further in the opening direction after two opening operations in the home position return operation mode, are determined to be the home position when they coincide. However, there is a demand to determine the home position with a single opening operation, rather than by determining the home position with multiple opening operations. However, when attempting to determine the home position with a single opening operation, the challenge is whether the home position can be detected accurately without any deviation.

[0006] When detecting the home position in a lintel-butt type home position return operation, the stopping position of the opening / closing body after power-on varies. In some cases, the opening operation of the opening / closing body is started from a fully open or nearly fully open position to detect the home position, while in other cases, the opening operation of the opening / closing body is started from a fully closed or nearly fully closed position to detect the home position. Furthermore, the fully open and fully closed positions of the opening / closing body are predetermined positions with respect to the home position (i.e., the position where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the lintel). Typically, the fully open position is set to approximately the same position as the home position, or slightly closer to the closing direction from the home position.

[0007] Therefore, if the opening operation of the opening / closing mechanism is started from a fully open or nearly fully open state after power is turned on, the lintel will hit the mechanism immediately after the opening operation begins, causing the motor to lock. Therefore, in order to accurately detect the origin position in such a case, it is necessary to reliably detect that the motor has locked immediately after the opening operation begins and determine the origin position accordingly. However, attempting to determine the origin position by determining the motor's locked state immediately after the opening operation begins requires solving the following problems.

[0008] First, depending on the stopping position of the opening / closing body after power is turned on, the load state of the motor at the start of the opening operation and during operation changes, resulting in a problem where the time from when the motor starts to when the opening / closing body actually starts to open is unstable. In the opening / closing device for opening / closing bodies described in Patent Document 1, the upper end of the opening / closing body (slat curtain 10 in Patent Document 1) is connected to a winding body (winding wheel 16 in Patent Document 1, etc.) that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, and the opening / closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of the winding body. Then, by rotating the winding body with the motor to wind up the opening / closing body, the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction, while by rotating the winding body in the opposite direction to unwind the opening / closing body, the opening / closing body is closed in the closing direction. As a result, the state of winding the opening / closing body onto the winding body changes depending on the stopping position of the opening / closing body, so the load state of the motor at the start of the opening operation and during operation changes.

[0009] Therefore, if the system determines that the motor has locked immediately after the start of the opening operation and sets that position as the origin, it may misdetect cases where the opening operation of the opening / closing mechanism was simply delayed due to the motor's load state, even though the lintel is not actually locked. To correctly detect the origin position using the lintel locking method, it is necessary to wait for a predetermined waiting time to elapse from the start of the opening operation until the motor's rotation speed stabilizes, and the motor must continue to drive during this time.

[0010] On the other hand, if the opening operation of the opening / closing body is started from a fully open or nearly fully open state, and the lintel abutment state occurs immediately after the start of the opening operation, then if the home position is detected after waiting for the above-mentioned waiting time to elapse, the continued operation of the motor during that time will cause a shift in the detected home position. Furthermore, if the motor continues to operate after the lintel abutment state occurs, the base plate member of the opening / closing body remains locked in the lintel section, and the winding of the opening / closing body onto the winding body progresses, causing winding constriction of the opening / closing body. In contrast, if the opening operation of the opening / closing body is started from a fully closed or nearly fully closed state, or from an intermediate position between the fully open and fully closed positions, and the lintel abutment state occurs after the above-mentioned waiting time has elapsed, the shift in the home position due to the continued operation of the motor as described above will not occur, and the degree of winding constriction of the opening / closing body will be relatively small. Consequently, in order to prevent false detection, by waiting for a predetermined waiting time to elapse from the start of the opening operation until the motor rotation speed stabilizes before detecting the home position, a shift in the detected home position will occur depending on the stopping position of the opening / closing body after power is turned on.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an opening and closing device for an opening and closing body that detects the origin position by an origin return operation using a lintel abutment method, which can prevent erroneous detection of the origin position and suppress the displacement of the origin position caused by the stopping position of the opening and closing body after power is turned on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the present invention for solving the aforementioned problems is an opening and closing device for an opening and closing body, which is installed in an opening in a building or the like and is supported to be operable in both the opening and closing directions; a motor for opening and closing an opening and closing body; a position detection unit for detecting the opening and closing position of the opening and closing body based on the count value of motor rotation pulses that are output in a manner that allows identification of the direction of rotation and the amount of rotational change in conjunction with the rotation of the motor; an operation input unit for inputting an operation signal to instruct the opening and closing operation or stopping of the opening and closing body; and a control unit for controlling the motor based on the operation signal and the position information detected by the position detection unit. A control method for the opening / closing body, wherein the opening / closing body has an upper end connected to a winding body that is rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions, and the opening / closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of the winding body, and the motor rotates the winding body in the winding direction to wind up the opening / closing body, thereby opening the opening / closing body in the opening direction, while the motor rotates the winding body in the unwinding direction to unwind the opening / closing body, thereby closing the opening / closing body in the closing direction, and the lower end of the opening / closing body is capable of contacting the flaps provided at the upper end of the opening. The control unit has a seat plate member, and after power is turned on, before the normal operation mode in which the opening / closing body is opened and closed between a preset fully open position and a fully closed position based on the operation signal and the position information, it performs an origin return operation mode to detect the position where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the lintel when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction, as the origin position which serves as the reference for the fully open position and the fully closed position, and in the origin return operation mode, when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction by the input of the operation signal, it performs a first waiting time elapsed determination step to determine whether a predetermined first waiting time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation until the rotation speed of the motor stabilizes, and a first fault detection step to detect that a fault has begun to occur in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined first threshold based on the change in the rotation of the motor, during the period from the start of the opening operation until a predetermined detection invalid time has elapsed until the first waiting time has elapsed, or during the period until the first waiting time has elapsed and a predetermined second waiting time has elapsed thereafter,If a fault is detected in the first fault detection step, a first position storage step is performed to store the initial detection position as the first position; after the first waiting time has elapsed while the opening operation continues, and if the first position has been stored at that time or before the second waiting time has elapsed, a second fault detection step is performed to detect that a fault is occurring in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined second threshold indicating that the motor is closer to a stopped state than the first threshold; if a fault is detected in the second fault detection step, a first origin determination stop step is performed to determine the first position as the origin position and stop the motor; and at the time the first waiting time has elapsed or the first waiting time has elapsed This is a control method for an opening / closing device for an opening / closing body, which includes: a third fault detection step that detects, if the first position is not stored during the period from the time elapsed until the second waiting time has elapsed, or if the first position is stored but no fault is detected in the second fault detection step, that a fault has begun to occur in the time thereafter, at the same first threshold as in the first fault detection step, preventing the opening / closing body from moving any further in the opening direction; a second position storage step that stores the detected position as the second position if a fault is detected in the third fault detection step; and a second origin determination stop step that, when the second position is stored, determines the second position as the origin position and stops the motor.

[0013] In this control method for the opening and closing device of the opening and closing body, the opening and closing position of the opening and closing body is detected based on the count value of the motor rotation pulse. In the origin return operation mode, which is performed before the normal operation mode, when the opening and closing body is opened in the opening direction, the position where the seat plate member at the lower end of the opening and closing body abuts against the lintel provided at the upper end of the opening is detected as the origin position that serves as the reference for the fully open and fully closed positions (lintel abutment method). Furthermore, the opening and closing body is connected at its upper end to a winding body that is rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions, and the opening and closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of this winding body. The motor of the opening and closing device rotates the winding body in the winding direction to wind up the opening and closing body, thereby opening the opening and closing body in the opening direction, while the same motor rotates the winding body in the unwinding direction to unwind the opening and closing body, thereby closing the opening and closing body in the closing direction.

[0014] The opening and closing positions of the opening / closing mechanism immediately after power-on vary; sometimes it is fully open, sometimes fully closed, and sometimes in an intermediate position. In this case, if the opening / closing mechanism is in a fully open or nearly fully open position when the opening operation is performed and the home position is detected by a lintel abutment method, a problem occurs where, shortly after the opening operation begins, the base plate member of the opening / closing mechanism abuts against the lintel (lintel abutment state), preventing the opening / closing mechanism from moving any further in the opening direction.

[0015] However, assuming the above-mentioned scenario, if the home position is detected immediately after the start of the opening operation, as mentioned earlier, it may be possible to misdetect a situation where the opening of the switch is delayed simply due to the motor load, even though the lintel is not actually in a jammed state. For this reason, in the control method for the switch of this switch, in the home position return operation mode after power-on, the first waiting time elapsed determination step first determines whether a predetermined first waiting time has elapsed until the motor rotation speed stabilizes when the switch is opened in the opening direction by input of an operation signal. This first waiting time is a predetermined waiting time from the start of the opening operation to continue driving the motor, regardless of whether or not a fault has occurred.

[0016] Next, in the first fault detection step, after a predetermined detection invalidation time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation, and before the first waiting time has elapsed, or before the first waiting time has elapsed and before the subsequent predetermined second waiting time has elapsed, it is detected that a fault has begun to occur in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined first threshold based on the change in motor rotation. Also, if a fault is detected in the first fault detection step, the first detected position is stored as the first position in the first position storage step. The second waiting time may be set as needed, depending on whether the detection time in the second fault detection step, which will be described later, is set to be longer than a predetermined time, and the second waiting time may be omitted.

[0017] Here, in the first fault detection step, a first threshold value based on the change in motor rotation used to detect when a fault has begun to occur that prevents the opening / closing body from moving any further in the opening direction is a rotation speed threshold value used to determine whether the motor rotation speed calculated from the motor rotation pulse has fallen below a specified value. In addition, if a means for detecting the motor load current is provided separately from the means for detecting the position using the motor rotation pulse, a current value threshold value can also be used to detect when the motor load current has changed rapidly due to the occurrence of a fault. Furthermore, this current value threshold value may be used in combination with the rotation speed threshold value mentioned above.

[0018] Next, after the first waiting time has elapsed while the opening operation continues, if the first position is already stored at that point (if there is no second waiting time) or before the second waiting time has elapsed (if there is a second waiting time), the second fault detection step detects that a fault is occurring in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined second threshold indicating that the motor has moved closer to a stopped state than the first threshold.

[0019] Here, in the second fault detection step, the second threshold used to detect that a fault has occurred that prevents the opening / closing body from moving further in the opening direction is used to determine that the motor is closer to a stopped state than the first threshold. This second threshold may be a rotation speed threshold set lower than the first threshold to determine whether the motor rotation speed has fallen below a specified value, or a time threshold to determine whether there has been no change in the motor rotation pulse within a specified time. Furthermore, these rotation speed thresholds and time thresholds may be used in combination. In addition, if a means for detecting the motor load current is provided and a current value threshold is used as the first threshold, a current value threshold greater than the first threshold may be used as the second threshold.

[0020] Then, if a fault is detected in the second fault detection step, the first origin determination stop step determines the stored first position as the origin position and stops the motor. In other words, if the motor is stopped due to a fault detected in the second detection step, the first position, which is the initial detection position in the first fault detection step, becomes the origin position. The following are examples of cases that fall under this category.

[0021] First, one example is when, before the first waiting time has elapsed, a fault is detected in the first fault detection step using the first threshold, and the initial detection position is stored as the first position. Then, either when the first waiting time has elapsed (if there is no second waiting time) or between the end of the first waiting time and the end of the second waiting time (if there is a second waiting time), a fault is detected in the second fault detection step using the second threshold, and the motor is stopped. In this case, the detection in the second fault detection step confirms that the fault detected in this second fault detection step originated from the first position, which was the initial detection position in the first fault detection step, so the first position is set as the origin position. This corresponds to the case where, after performing an opening operation from a fully open state or a state close to it, the lintel hits the ground within a short time before the first waiting time has elapsed.

[0022] Also, there was no detection in the first failure detection step until the first waiting time elapsed, and the first position was not memorized. However, after that, until the second waiting time elapsed (if there is a second waiting time), there was a detection in the first failure detection step, the first position was memorized, and then, further, there was a detection in the second failure detection step and the motor was stopped. In this case as well, since it is confirmed that a failure had started occurring from the first position, the first position is set as the origin position. This corresponds to the case where the plunging contact state occurs between the elapse of the first waiting time and the elapse of the second waiting time.

[0023] On the other hand, there was a detection in the first failure detection step and the first position was memorized. However, at the point when the first waiting time elapsed or between the elapse of the first waiting time and the elapse of the second waiting time, there was no detection in the second failure detection step and the motor was not stopped. This corresponds to the case where, for example, the start of the opening operation of the opening / closing body was delayed due to the load state of the motor, and actually, the plunging contact state was not reached. In this case, the memorized first position is not used for determining the origin position.

[0024] Then, including the above cases, if the first position was not memorized or there was no detection in the second failure detection step at the point when the first waiting time elapsed or between the elapse of the first waiting time and the elapse of the second waiting time, at a later time, in the third failure detection step, it is detected that a failure has started occurring such that the opening / closing body cannot move further in the opening direction with the same first threshold value as in the first failure detection step. Also, if there was a detection in the third failure detection step, in the second position memorization step, the detected position is memorized as the second position, and further, in the second origin determination stop step, the second position is determined as the origin position and the motor is stopped. This corresponds to the case where the opening operation of the opening / closing body starts from the fully closed state or a state close thereto or an intermediate position between the fully open position and the fully closed position, and the plunging contact state occurs after the first waiting time has elapsed or after the second waiting time has elapsed.

[0025] Since the first failure detection step and the third failure detection step detect that a failure has occurred where the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to the same first threshold value, whether the first position is set as the origin position in the first origin determination stop step or the second position is set as the origin position in the second origin determination stop step, the determined origin positions are almost the same, and it is possible to suppress a deviation in the origin position due to the stop position of the opening / closing body after power-on.

[0026] Also, even if there is detection in the first failure detection step and the first position is memorized, the opening operation is continued until the first waiting time elapses without stopping the motor at that time. Only when it is detected in the second failure detection step that a failure has occurred where the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a second threshold value indicating that the motor is closer to the stopped state compared to the first threshold value, the first position is set as the origin position, so misdetection of the origin position can also be prevented.

[0027] As described above, according to the control method of the opening / closing device of this opening / closing body, in the origin return operation by the abutting method, it is possible to suppress a deviation in the origin position due to the stop position of the opening / closing body after power-on while preventing misdetection of the origin position.

[0028] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is an opening for an opening body installed in an opening in a building or the like, which is supported to be operable in both the opening and closing directions, comprising: a motor for opening and closing an opening body, which is installed in an opening in a building or the like and is supported to be operable in both the opening and closing directions; a position detection unit for detecting the opening and closing position of the opening body based on the count value of a motor rotation pulse that is output in a manner that allows the rotation direction and amount of rotation change to be identified in conjunction with the rotation of the motor; an operation input unit for inputting an operation signal to instruct the opening and closing operation or stopping of the opening and closing body; and a control unit for controlling the motor based on the operation signal and the position information detected by the position detection unit. The closing device is configured such that the opening / closing body has an upper end connected to a winding body that is rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions, and the opening / closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of the winding body, and the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction by rotating the winding body in the winding direction with the motor, and the opening / closing body is closed in the closing direction by rotating the winding body in the unwinding direction with the motor, and the lower end of the opening / closing body has a seat that can abut against the lintel portion provided at the upper end of the opening. The control unit has a plate member, and after power is turned on, before the normal operation mode in which the opening / closing body is opened and closed between a preset fully open position and a fully closed position based on the operation signal and the position information, it performs an origin return operation mode to detect the position where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the lintel when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction, as the origin position that serves as the reference for the fully open position and the fully closed position. The control unit has a first waiting time elapsed determination means that determines whether a predetermined first waiting time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation until the rotation speed of the motor stabilizes when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction by the input of the operation signal, and a first fault detection means that detects when a fault has begun to occur in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction based on a predetermined first threshold value based on the change in the rotation of the motor, during the period from the start of the opening operation until a predetermined detection invalid time has elapsed until the first waiting time has elapsed, or during the period until the first waiting time has elapsed and a predetermined second waiting time has elapsed thereafter, and when the first fault detection means has detected,A first position storage means that stores the initial detection position as the first position; a second fault detection means that, after the first waiting time has elapsed while the opening operation continues, or before the second waiting time has elapsed, if the first position has been stored, detects that a fault is occurring in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined second threshold indicating that the motor is closer to a stopped state than the first threshold; a first origin determination stop means that, upon detection by the second fault detection means, determines the first position as the origin position and stops the motor; and the time when the first waiting time has elapsed or the time from the elapsed of the first waiting time to the elapsed of the second waiting time. The opening and closing device for an opening and closing body comprises: a third fault detection means that detects, if the first position is not stored during the period until the first position is stored, or if the second fault detection means does not detect a fault even if the first position is stored, then, in the time period thereafter, a fault has begun to occur that prevents the opening and closing body from moving any further in the opening direction by the same first threshold as the first fault detection means; a second position storage means that stores the detected position as the second position when the third fault detection means detects a fault; and a second origin determination stop means that, when the second position is stored, determines the second position as the origin position and stops the motor, and these functions are performed in the origin return operation mode.

[0029] In this opening and closing device for the opening and closing body, the control unit is equipped with a first waiting time elapsed determination means, a first fault detection means, a first position storage means, a second fault detection means, a first origin determination stop means, a third fault detection means, a second position storage means, and a second origin determination stop means, which are executed in the origin return operation mode. As a result, when the motor is stopped by the first origin determination stop means, the first position becomes the origin position, and when the motor is stopped by the second origin determination stop means, the second position becomes the origin position. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous detection of the origin position in the origin return operation using the lintel abutment method, as already explained in the control method, while suppressing the shift in the origin position caused by the stopping position of the opening and closing body after power is turned on. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the opening and closing device and control method of the opening and closing body of the present invention, in an opening and closing device for an opening and closing body that detects the origin position by returning to the origin position using a lintel abutment method, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the origin position while suppressing the displacement of the origin position caused by the stopping position of the opening and closing body after power is turned on. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the overall external appearance of the shutter slat curtain, which is an opening and closing body according to the embodiment, and the shutter opening and closing device, which is the opening and closing mechanism thereof. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of a shutter opener according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A flowchart showing the relationship between the execution order of the origin return operation mode and the normal operation mode after power is turned on to the shutter opener according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing the closing operation portion of the normal operation mode of the shutter opener / closer according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing the opening operation portion of the normal operation mode of the shutter opener / closer according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the first part of the operation of the shutter opener in the origin return operation mode according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the second part of the operation of the shutter opener in the origin return operation mode according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing a modified form of the second part of the operation in the origin return operation mode of the shutter opener according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing the third part of the operation of the shutter opener in the origin return operation mode according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. This embodiment shows an example in which the present invention is applied to an electric shutter installed in a garage or the like. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall appearance showing the installation state of the shutter slat curtain 10, which is the opening and closing body of this embodiment, and the shutter opening and closing device 1. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the shutter opening and closing device 1. First, referring to Figure 1, we will explain the mechanical structure of the shutter's slat curtain 10 and shutter opener 1, as well as the mechanism of the shutter's opening and closing operation.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the slat curtain 10 of the shutter, which is the opening and closing mechanism, has a structure in which multiple roughly rectangular metal plates extending horizontally are connected vertically, and both sides in the horizontal direction are sandwiched between guide rails 11 and supported in a suspended state, and it is installed in the opening of a building such as a garage. When the shutter opening and closing device 1 is operated, the upper vertical end 10b of the slat curtain 10 is retracted via a drive system, thereby allowing the slat curtain 10 to operate in both directions in the vertical direction: in the opening direction DO (upward in Figure 1) and in the closing direction DC (downward in Figure 1). Furthermore, the slat curtain 10 has a seat plate member 10a at its lower vertical end, and when the slat curtain 10 opens in the opening direction DO and becomes fully open, the seat plate member 10a comes into contact with the lintel portion 12 provided at the upper end of the opening of the building.

[0034] The shutter opener 1 comprises a motor 2 for opening and closing the slat curtain 10 and a control unit 3 for controlling the motor 2. The shutter opener 1 is fixed to a rod-shaped shaft 13, which forms the fixed part of the drive system for winding up the slat curtain 10. Both ends of the shaft 13 are fixed to plate-shaped brackets 14 located above the opening of the building. A disc-shaped outer rotating wheel 15, which forms the movable part of the drive system, is provided on the radially outer side of the axial middle portion of the shaft 13. The outer rotating wheel 15 consists of a radially inner fixed part (not shown) that is fixed to the shaft 13 and does not move, and a rotating part (not shown) located radially outside of the fixed part that rotates around the radial outer circumference of the shaft 13 as a movable part. The outer rotating wheel 15 is also provided with a gear (not shown) that meshes with the output shaft gear 2a of the motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 for the rotation of the rotating part.

[0035] Furthermore, multiple disc-shaped winding wheels 16 are provided on the radially outer portions of the shaft 13, both ends and the middle portion in the axial direction. In addition, multiple rod-shaped stays 17 are inserted along the axial direction of the shaft 13 through the winding wheels 16 and the rotating parts of the outer rotating wheel 15, and the winding wheels 16 and the rotating parts of the outer rotating wheel 15 are connected to each other via the stays 17. The upper end (not shown) of the slat curtain 10 is fixed to the winding wheel 16, and when the motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 rotates, the rotating part of the outer rotating wheel 15, the winding wheels 16 and the stays 17 rotate together around the radial circumference of the shaft 13 in conjunction with the motor 2, causing the slat curtain 10 to be wound onto the outer circumference of the winding wheel 16. In other words, the rotating part of the outer rotating wheel 15, the winding wheels 16 and the stays 17 together form a winding body that winds up the slat curtain 10, which is the opening and closing body.

[0036] More specifically, the rotating part of the outer rotating wheel 15 that forms the winding body, the winding wheel 16, and the stay 17 are rotatable on the radial outer circumference of the shaft 13 in the winding direction (from the back to the front in Figure 1) and the unwinding direction (from the front to the back in Figure 1). The motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 rotates these in the winding direction to wind up the slat curtain 10, causing the slat curtain 10 to open in the opening direction DO. Conversely, rotating these in the unwinding direction unwinds the slat curtain 10, causing the slat curtain 10 to close in the closing direction DC. As can be seen from Figure 1, when the slat curtain 10 is wound around the outer circumference of the winding wheel 16, the shutter opener 1 is housed inside the wound-up slat curtain 10 and is not visible from the outside.

[0037] Furthermore, a push-button switch box 4 is installed on the building wall adjacent to the slat curtain 10 and the guide rail 11 to provide input for instructing the opening, closing, or stopping of the slat curtain 10. The push-button switch box 4 is equipped with an up (open) button PBU, a down (close) button PBD, and a stop button PBS, and this push-button switch box 4 is electrically connected to the control unit 3 of the shutter opener 1. When the motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 is stopped, pressing the up (open) button PBU on the push-button switch box 4 causes the motor 2 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and the slat curtain 10 of the shutter begins to open (rise). Similarly, when the motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 is stopped, pressing the down (close) button PBD on the push-button switch box 4 causes the motor 2 to rotate in the opposite direction to the opening operation described above, and the slat curtain 10 of the shutter begins to close (lower). Furthermore, when the shutter's slat curtain 10 is performing an opening or closing operation, pressing the stop button PBS on the push-button switch box 4 stops the rotation of the motor 2, and the opening or closing operation of the slat curtain 10 stops.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the motor 2 of the shutter opener 1 consists of a motor body, a reduction gear, and a brake. The brake of motor 2 is released during the opening or closing operation of the slat curtain 10. When the rotation of motor 2 stops and the opening or closing operation of the slat curtain 10 stops, the brake of motor 2 is returned to its original position. Next, with reference to Figure 2, the electrical configuration of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0039] As already explained, the shutter opener 1 includes a motor 2 for opening and closing the slat curtain 10, and a control unit 3 for controlling the motor 2. The motor 2 consists of a motor body, a reduction gear, and a brake, and an output shaft gear 2a provided on the output shaft of the motor 2 (after reduction by the reduction gear) meshes with the gear of the outer rotating wheel 15 (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, the motor body of the motor 2 is a capacitor-run type single-phase 100V induction motor. The brake of the motor 2 is an unexcited electromagnetic brake that applies braking to the output shaft of the motor 2 (after reduction by the reduction gear) when it is not energized. The control unit 3 includes a microprocessor 3a that executes a control program, and a motor drive circuit 3c and a brake drive circuit 3d connected thereto. AC 100V power supply (not shown) is connected to these motor drive circuit 3a and brake drive circuit 3d. A motor capacitor (not shown) is also connected to the motor drive circuit 3c. Furthermore, the control unit 3 also includes a control power supply circuit (not shown) that generates power for controlling the microprocessor 3a and other circuits. As a result, the microprocessor 3a of the control unit 3 outputs motor drive signals Mu, Mv, Mx and brake drive signals B+, B- to the motor 2 via the motor drive circuit 3c and the brake drive circuit 3d.

[0040] Furthermore, the motor 2 is equipped with a motor rotation pulse detection sensor 2b for detecting the rotation of the motor body's rotating shaft (before reduction by the gearbox). Specifically, the motor rotation pulse detection sensor 2b consists of a ring-shaped rotation detection magnet provided on the outer circumference of the motor body's rotating shaft, and two Hall sensors that detect changes in the magnetic field due to the rotation of this rotation detection magnet. Depending on the rotation direction of the motor 2, it outputs two-phase motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb whose phase relationship is reversed. In other words, the rotation direction and amount of rotation change of the motor 2 can be identified by these motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb. These motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb are then input to the microprocessor 3a of the control unit 3 through the motor rotation pulse input circuit 3e of the control unit 3. The motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb input to the microprocessor 3a are then processed by the motor rotation pulse count processing unit 3a1, which is either programmed or uses an internal counter, and converted into a count value CT that is added or subtracted according to the rotation direction of the motor 2. As a result, the count value CT becomes positional information that detects the opening and closing position of the slat curtain 10. In this embodiment, components such as an origin sensor are not used as means for position detection; only the motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb output by the motor rotation pulse detection sensor 2b are used as means for position detection.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 3 is connected to the push-button switch box 4, which was already described in Figure 1. The open operation signal SU corresponding to the operation of the up (open) button PBU, the close operation signal SD corresponding to the operation of the down (close) button PBD, and the stop operation signal SS corresponding to the operation of the stop button PBS are input to the microprocessor 3a through the push-button input circuit 3b. As a result, the microprocessor 3a of the control unit 3 controls the motor 2 based on the above-mentioned operation signals SU, SD, SS, and position information of the open and closed position of the slat curtain 10, which is determined by the count value CT.

[0042] Next, the control method for the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 9. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the relationship between the execution order of the origin return operation mode and the normal operation mode after power-on of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment. Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the operation of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment in the normal operation mode. Furthermore, Figures 6 to 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment in the origin return operation mode. All of these flowcharts show the processing content of the control program executed by the microprocessor 3a of the control unit 3.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, the shutter opener 1 executes the home position return operation mode in step S1 after power is turned on, and after the completion of this home position return operation mode, it executes the normal operation mode in step S2. Here, the normal operation mode, which is executed later, will be explained first. The normal operation mode is an operation mode in which the slat curtain 10 of the shutter, which is the opening and closing mechanism, is opened and closed between a preset fully open position UL (= upper limit, see step S209 in Figure 5) and a fully closed position DL (= lower limit, see step S204 in Figure 4) based on the position information obtained from the aforementioned operation signals SU, SD, SS and the count value CT. The settings for the fully open position UL and the fully closed position DL are made when the shutter is installed, but the explanation of that method is omitted here.

[0044] In normal operation mode, with motor 2 stopped, step S201 in Figure 4 first checks whether there is a closing operation signal SD. If there is a closing operation signal SD (Yes), the process proceeds to step S202 to start the closing operation of the slat curtain 10 in the closing direction DC. On the other hand, if there is no closing operation signal SD (No), the process proceeds to step S206 in Figure 5. In step S206, a check is performed whether there is an opening operation signal SU. If there is an opening operation signal SU (Yes), the process proceeds to step S207 to start the opening operation of the slat curtain 10 in the opening direction DO. On the other hand, if there is no opening operation signal SU (No), the process returns to step S201 in Figure 4.

[0045] Furthermore, after the closing operation in the closing direction DC is started in step S202, a check is performed in step S203 to see if there is a stop operation signal SS. If there is a stop operation signal SS (Yes), the process proceeds to step S205 to stop motor 2. On the other hand, if there is no stop operation signal SS (No), the process proceeds to step S204 to check whether the fully closed position DL has been detected based on the position information from the count value CT. If the fully closed position DL has been detected (Yes), the process proceeds to step S205 to stop motor 2. If the fully closed position DL has not been detected (No), the process continues the closing operation in the closing direction DC, returns to step S203, and the checks in steps S203 and S204 are repeated. After stopping motor 2 in step S205, the process proceeds to step S206 as shown in Figure 5, which has already been explained.

[0046] Similarly, after starting the opening operation in the open direction DO in step S207 of Figure 5, a check is performed in step S208 to see if there is a stop operation signal SS. If there is a stop operation signal SS (Yes), the process proceeds to step S210 to stop motor 2. On the other hand, if there is no stop operation signal SS (No), the process proceeds to step S209 to check whether the fully open position UL has been detected based on the position information from the count value CT. If the fully open position UL is detected (Yes), the process proceeds to step S210 to stop motor 2. If the fully open position UL is not detected (No), the process continues the opening operation in the open direction DO, returns to step S208, and the checks in steps S208 and S209 are repeated. After stopping motor 2 in step S210, the process returns to step S201 of Figure 4, which has already been explained.

[0047] Note that the flowcharts in Figures 4 and 5 omit descriptions of how to handle abnormal situations, such as when a fault is detected during the opening or closing operation. Also, while starting the opening operation when the fully open position UL is detected and starting the closing operation when the fully closed position DL is detected are prohibited, the flowcharts in Figures 4 and 5 also omit descriptions of these processes.

[0048] Next, with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 6 to 9, the origin return operation mode according to the control method of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment, as already explained, only the motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb output by the motor rotation pulse detection sensor 2b are used as means for position detection. However, these motor rotation pulses Ha and Hb can only identify the rotation direction and the amount of rotation change of the motor 2, and it is not possible to identify the mechanical absolute position of the open or closed position of the slat curtain 10 when the power is turned on. That is, when the power is turned on, the control unit 3 of the shutter opener 1 cannot recognize whether the slat curtain 10 is fully open, fully closed, or stopped in an intermediate position, and it is also impossible to know where the fully open position UL and fully closed position DL, which were set in advance when the shutter was installed, are located.

[0049] Therefore, in the control method of the shutter opener 1 according to this embodiment, when the slat curtain 10 is opened in the opening direction DO, the position where the bottom plate member 10a of the slat curtain 10 abuts against the lintel portion 12 is detected as the origin position OP which serves as the reference for the fully open position UL and the fully closed position DL. This operation is performed in the origin return operation mode. In other words, after power is turned on, the origin return operation mode (step S1 in Figure 3) is executed to determine the origin position OP, and in the normal operation mode executed thereafter (step S2 in Figure 3), the opening and closing operation is performed between the fully open position UL and the fully open position DL which are determined based on this origin position OP.

[0050] The operation in the home position return mode will be described in order below. Note that only the opening operation to detect the home position OP and the case when there is an opening operation signal SU to perform this operation will be described below. The processing when there is a closing operation signal SD and the stopping process of motor 2 when there is a stop operation signal SS during the opening operation will not be explained.

[0051] After the start of the homing operation mode by restarting the power, step S101 in Figure 6 checks whether or not there is an open operation signal SU. If there is no open operation signal SU (No), the check in step S101 is repeated until there is an open operation signal SU. If there is an open operation signal SU (Yes), the process proceeds to step S102, and the opening operation of the slat curtain 10 in the open direction DO is started.

[0052] Next, the process proceeds to step S103, where a check is performed to determine whether a predetermined first waiting time WT1 has elapsed from the start of the release operation until the rotation speed of motor 2 stabilizes. If this first waiting time WT1 has not elapsed (No), the process proceeds to the following step S104, where a check is performed to determine whether a detection invalidation time DT, which is set to be shorter than the first waiting time, has elapsed. This detection invalidation time DT is a time during which the check in the following step S105 is disabled in order to prevent false detections. If the detection invalidation time DT has not elapsed in step S104 (No), the process returns to step S103, and the checks in steps S103 and S104 are repeated until the detection invalidation time DT has elapsed.

[0053] If the detection waiting time DT has elapsed in step S104 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S105, where it is checked whether the rotational speed of the motor 2 is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold R1. This first threshold R1 is a rotational speed threshold defined to detect when a malfunction has begun that prevents the slat curtain 10, which is the opening / closing body, from moving any further in the opening direction DO. In this embodiment, the rotational speed threshold is set as the first threshold R1 to determine whether the motor's rotational speed has fallen below a specified value, but any other threshold based on a change in motor rotation may be used. For example, if a means for detecting the motor's load current is provided, a current value threshold may be used to detect when the motor's load current has changed rapidly due to a malfunction. This current value threshold may also be used in combination with the rotational speed threshold.

[0054] If, in step S105, the rotational speed of motor 2 is not less than or equal to the first threshold R1 (No), the process returns to step S103, and after the detection invalidation time DT has elapsed, steps S103 to S105 are repeated until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed. As a result, the check in step S105 to determine whether the rotational speed of motor 2 is less than or equal to the first threshold R1 is repeated until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed.

[0055] Then, in step S105, if the rotational speed of motor 2 falls below the first threshold R1 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S106, where it is checked whether the first position P1, which will be stored in step S107 following step S106, has already been stored. In step S106, if the first position P1 has not already been stored (No), the process proceeds to step S107, where the count value CT of the detected position in step S105 is stored as the first position P1, and then the process returns to step S103. After that, if the first waiting time WT1 has not elapsed in step S103, the process proceeds again to the check in step S105.

[0056] Then, in step S105, if the rotational speed of motor 2 falls below the first threshold R1 again (Yes), then in step S106, the first position P1 is stored (Yes), and the process returns to step S103 without proceeding to step S107. As a result, the stored first position P1 becomes the initial detection position in step S105. After storing the first position P1, the process repeats the checks from step S103 to step S105, or from step S103 to step S106, while waiting for the first waiting time WT1 to elapse. Motor 2 does not stop until this first waiting time WT1 has elapsed. On the other hand, there are cases where no detection occurs in step S105 until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, in which case the checks from step S103 to step S105 are repeated until the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed.

[0057] Based on the above, regardless of whether the first position P1 was stored by the detection in step S105 (i.e., whether or not a fault that prevents further movement in the opening direction DO during the opening operation was detected), the opening operation is continued while waiting for the first waiting time WT1 to elapse. In other words, the first waiting time WT1 is a waiting time to continue driving the motor 2 regardless of whether or not a fault has occurred. Then, in step S103, if the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed (Yes), the process proceeds to step S108 in Figure 7.

[0058] In step S108, it is checked whether a predetermined second waiting time WT2 following the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed. If the second waiting time WT2 has not elapsed in step S108 (No), the process proceeds to step S109, where it is checked whether the first position P1 has been stored. If the first position P1 has been stored in step S109 (Yes), the process proceeds to the check in step S110 described below. On the other hand, if the first position P1 has not been stored in step S109 (No), the process returns to step S105 in Figure 6, where it is checked again whether the rotational speed of motor 2 is less than or equal to the first threshold R1. As a result, from the time after the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed (Yes in step S103 in Figure 6) until the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed (No in step S108 in Figure 7), the checks are repeated in the order of step S103 in Figure 6, steps S108 to S109 in Figure 7, and step S105 in Figure 6 until the rotational speed of motor 2 becomes less than or equal to the first threshold R1 and the first position P1 is stored.

[0059] If the first position P1 is already memorized and the process proceeds from step S109 to step S110, then in step S110, it is checked whether the rotational speed of the motor 2 is less than or equal to a predetermined second threshold R2. The second threshold R2 is a rotational speed threshold set to detect when a malfunction occurs that prevents the slat curtain 10 from moving any further in the opening direction DO. It is set to a lower rotational speed than the first threshold R1, as it indicates that the motor 2 is closer to a stopped state compared to the first threshold R1 in step S105.

[0060] In this embodiment, the second threshold R2 is set as the rotational speed threshold and is set to a rotational speed lower than the first threshold R1. However, any threshold other than rotational speed may be used as long as it indicates that the motor is closer to a stopped state compared to the first threshold R1. For example, a time threshold may be used to determine whether there has been no change in the motor rotation pulse within a specified time, or a combination of the rotational speed threshold and the time threshold may be used. Furthermore, if a means for detecting the motor load current is provided and a current value threshold is used as the first threshold, a current value threshold greater than the first threshold may be used as the second threshold.

[0061] If, in step S110, the rotational speed of motor 2 is not less than or equal to the second threshold R2 (No), the process returns to step S108, and the check in step S110 to determine whether the rotational speed of motor 2 is less than or equal to the second threshold R2 is repeated until the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed. If, in step S110, the rotational speed of motor 2 does not become less than or equal to the second threshold R2, but the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed in step S108 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S113 in Figure 9. The same applies if, in step S109, the first position P1 is not stored, but the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed. The processing from step S113 onwards will be explained later. On the other hand, if, in step S110, the rotational speed of motor 2 becomes less than or equal to the second threshold R2 before the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed in step S108 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S111.

[0062] The second waiting time WT2 is used to ensure that the detection time in step S109 is longer than a predetermined time, and can be set as needed. In this embodiment, the case where the second waiting time WT2 is present is shown, but the second waiting time WT2 may be omitted. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a modified version of Figure 7 when the second waiting time WT2 is omitted. In this modified version, if the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed in step S103 of Figure 6 (Yes), the check to see if the second waiting time has elapsed is skipped, and the process proceeds directly to the check in step S109' of Figure 8 to see if the first position P1 has been stored, and this check is performed only once. If the first position P1 has been stored in step S109' (Yes), the process proceeds to step S110', where the check to see if the rotational speed of motor 2 is less than or equal to the second threshold R2 is also performed only once. If the rotational speed of motor 2 is less than or equal to the second threshold R2 in step S110' (Yes), the process proceeds to step S111. The processing from step S111 onwards is the same as in the embodiment shown in Figure 7. On the other hand, if the first position P1 is not stored in step S109' (No), and if the rotational speed of motor 2 is not less than or equal to the second threshold R2 in step S110' (No), the process proceeds to step S113 in Figure 9 in both cases.

[0063] If, in step S110 in Figure 7 or step S110' in Figure 8, the rotational speed of motor 2 becomes less than or equal to the second threshold R2 (Yes), and the process proceeds to step S111, then in step S111, the count value CT is corrected so that the stored first position P1 becomes the home position OP. Specifically, if the count value of the home position OP is to be set to 0, the difference between the current count value CT before correction and the first position P1 is used as the corrected count value CT. As a result, the first position P1 becomes the home position OP, and the home position OP is determined, so in the following step S112, motor 2 is stopped, and the home position return operation mode is terminated.

[0064] On the other hand, if the first position P1 is not stored in step S109 in Figure 7 or step S109' in Figure 8, or if the rotational speed of motor 2 does not fall below the second threshold R2 in step S110 in Figure 7 or step S110' in Figure 8, the release operation continues, and the process proceeds to step S113 in Figure 9, as described above. In step S113, it is checked whether the rotational speed of motor 2 is below the first threshold R1, the same as in step S105 in Figure 6 (i.e., whether a failure has been detected that prevents further movement in the release direction DO during the release operation). If the rotational speed of motor 2 is not below the first threshold R1 in step S113 (No), the release operation continues while repeating the check in step S113. If the rotational speed of motor 2 becomes below the first threshold R1 in step S113 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S114.

[0065] If, in step S113, the rotational speed of motor 2 becomes less than or equal to the first threshold R1 (Yes), and the process proceeds to step S114, then in step S114, the count value CT of the detected position in step S113 is stored as the second position P2. Then, in the following step S115, the count value CT is corrected so that the second position P2 becomes the origin position OP. Similar to the process in step S111 described above, if the count value of the origin position OP is to be counted as 0, the difference between the current count value CT before correction and the second position P2 is used as the corrected count value CT. As a result, the second position P2 becomes the origin position OP, and the origin position OP is determined, so in the following step S115, motor 2 is stopped and the home position return operation mode is terminated.

[0066] To summarize, in the shutter opener 1 and its control method according to this embodiment, in the home position return operation mode, after starting the opening operation of the slat curtain 10, which is the opening / closing body, in the opening direction DO, the opening operation continues until at least the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, regardless of whether the first position P1 has been stored by detection in step S105 of Figure 6. Then, when the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed (when there is no second waiting time WT2 in Figure 8) or between the time the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed and the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed (when there is a second waiting time WT2 in Figure 7), if the first position P1 has been stored and detection has occurred in step S110 of Figure 7 or step S110' of Figure 8, the stored first position P1 is set as the home position OP. On the other hand, if the first position P1 is not already memorized, or if no detection occurred in step S110 or step S110', the second position P2 detected in step S113 in Figure 9 is set as the origin position OP. Applying this to the opening operation of the slat curtain 10 in the opening direction DO during the actual home return operation mode, the result is as follows.

[0067] First, consider the case where, after power-on, the slat curtain 10 is fully open or close to fully open, and the opening operation in the open direction DO is started in the home position return operation mode. In this case, shortly after the opening operation starts, the bottom plate member 10a of the slat curtain 10 comes into contact with the lintel section 12 (lintel contact state). Applying this to the shutter opener 1 and its control method according to this embodiment, after the opening operation starts, before the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, in step S105, it is detected that a problem has begun to occur that prevents further movement in the open direction DO, and the initial detected position is stored as the first position P1. However, to prevent false detection, the motor 2 is not stopped at this point and the opening operation continues. Then, in step S110 or step S110' after the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, when it is detected that the motor 2 is approaching a stopped state and a problem has occurred that prevents further movement in the open direction DO, the stored first position P1 is set to the home position OP, and the motor 2 is stopped. This prevents false detections and allows the first position P1, where the onset of a fault was first detected, to be set as the origin position OP, thereby minimizing the deviation of the origin position OP.

[0068] Furthermore, if there is a second waiting time WT2 in Figure 7, even if no detection occurs in step S105 before the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed, a fault may be detected for the first time during the period before the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed, and the first position P1 may be stored. In this case, if, after storing the first position P1, detection occurs again in step S110, it is confirmed that the fault started occurring from the first position P1, and the first position P1 is set as the origin position. This corresponds to the case where the slat curtain 10 starts opening from a position slightly closed from the fully open state, and the lintel hits the curtain between the end of the first waiting time WT1 and the end of the second waiting time WT2.

[0069] Next, consider the case where the opening operation is started from a state where the slat curtain 10 is even more closed than in the above case, such as a fully closed state or a state close to it. In this case, the start of the opening operation may be delayed due to the load state of the motor 2, and the first position P1 may be stored by detection in step S105. However, if the lintel has not actually reached the point where the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed or the second waiting time WT2 has elapsed, there will be no detection in step S109 or step S109', and the opening operation will continue. Also, in this case, the stored first position OP is not used to determine the origin position OP.

[0070] Furthermore, including the above case, if no detection occurs in step S109 or step S109' when the first waiting time WT1 has elapsed or between the elapsed time of the first waiting time WT1 and the elapsed time of the second waiting time WT2, then in the time thereafter, step S113 detects that a fault has begun to occur that prevents further movement in the opening direction DO by the same first threshold R1 as in step S105. The detection position in step S113 is then stored as the second position P2, and this second position P2 is set as the origin position OP. This makes it possible to suppress the shift of the origin position OP due to the stopping position of the slat curtain 10 after power-on, between the case where this second position is set as the origin position OP and the case where the aforementioned first position P1 is set as the origin position OP.

[0071] As described above, in the shutter opener 1 and its control method according to this embodiment, the first threshold R1 and the second threshold R2 detect when a malfunction has begun or is in progress, and depending on the detection, either the first position P1 or the second position P2 is set as the origin position OP. This prevents false detection of the origin position OP and suppresses the shift in the origin position OP caused by the stopping position of the slat curtain 10 after power is turned on.

[0072] Based on the above, the opening and closing device for the opening and closing body and its control method have been described in accordance with embodiments, with the opening and closing body being the slat curtain 10 of the shutter and the opening and closing device being the shutter opening and closing machine 1. Furthermore, as already described, in this embodiment, the rotating part of the outer rotating wheel 15, the winding wheel 16 and the stay 17 are integrated to form a winding body that winds up the slat curtain 10, which is the opening and closing body.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the motor rotation pulse detection sensor 2b, the motor rotation pulse input circuit 3e of the control unit 3, and the motor rotation pulse count processing unit 3a1 of the microprocessor 3a correspond to the position detection unit of the present invention. Also, the push-button switch box 4 and the push-button input circuit 3b of the control unit 3 correspond to the operation input unit of the present invention, and the open operation signal SU, the close operation signal SD, and the stop operation signal SS correspond to the operation signals of the present invention.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S103 corresponds to the first waiting time elapsed determination step of the present invention, and this step S103 executed by the microprocessor 3a corresponds to the first waiting time elapsed determination means of the present invention. Also, step S105 corresponds to the first fault detection step of the present invention, and this step S105 executed by the microprocessor 3a corresponds to the first fault detection means of the present invention. Furthermore, steps S106 to S107 correspond to the first position storage step of the present invention, and these steps executed by the microstep 3a correspond to the first position storage means of the present invention.

[0075] Furthermore, steps S110 and S110' correspond to the second fault detection step of the present invention, and these steps performed by the microprocessor 3a correspond to the second fault detection means of the present invention. Also, steps S111 to S112 correspond to the first origin determination stop step of the present invention, and these steps performed by the microprocessor 3a correspond to the first origin determination stop means of the present invention.

[0076] Furthermore, step S113 corresponds to the third fault detection step of the present invention, and this step S113, executed by the microprocessor 3a, corresponds to the third fault detection means of the present invention. Also, step S114 corresponds to the second position storage step of the present invention, and this step S114, executed by the microprocessor 3a, corresponds to the second position storage means of the present invention. Furthermore, steps S115 to S116 correspond to the second origin determination stop step of the present invention, and these steps, executed by the microstep 3a, correspond to the second origin determination stop means of the present invention.

[0077] Although the present invention has been described above in reference to embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied with appropriate modifications without departing from its essence.

[0078] For example, in this embodiment, the shutter opener, which is the opening and closing device, is housed inside the shutter when the slat curtain of the shutter, which is the opening and closing body, is wound onto the winding body. However, the shape of the shutter opener and closing device, and the way in which the shutter opener and closing device are attached to each other, are not limited to this. Furthermore, although the embodiment shows a case where the motor of the switchgear is a capacitor-run type single-phase 100V induction motor, a switchgear using a three-phase 200V induction motor or a three-phase DC brushless motor may also be used.

[0079] Furthermore, in the embodiment, an example was shown in which a motor rotation pulse detection sensor consisting of a rotation detection magnet and two Hall sensors was used as the position detection unit to output motor rotation pulses. However, a rotary encoder or the like may be used as the position detection unit that outputs motor rotation pulses. Also, if the motor is a three-phase DC brushless motor, the combination of a magnet for detecting the rotational position of the rotor and three Hall sensors can be used as the position detection unit as is. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1. Shutter opening / closing mechanism (opening / closing device) 2 motors 2a Motor output shaft gear 2b Motor rotation pulse detection sensor (position detection unit) 3. Control Unit 3a microprocessor 3a1 Motor rotation pulse counting processing unit (position detection unit) 3b Push-button input circuit (operation input section) 3C motor drive circuit 3D brake drive circuit 3e Motor rotation pulse input circuit (position detection unit) 4. Push-button switch box (operation input section) 10 Slat Curtain (Opening / Closing Mechanism) 10a Seat plate member 10b Upper end of slat curtain 11 Guide rails 12. The fodder 13 shafts 14 brackets 15. Outer rotating wheel (winding body) 16. Winding wheel (winding body) 17. Stay (winding body) DO open direction DC closing direction PBU Up (Release) Button PBD Down (Close) Button PBS Stop Button SU open operation signal (operation signal) SD Close operation signal (operation signal) SS Stop operation signal (operation signal) Mu, Mv, Mx Motor drive signals B+, B- Brake drive signals Ha, Hb Motor rotation pulse CT count value UL fully open position (upper limit) DL fully closed position (lower limit) Dot detection disable time WT1 First Waiting Time WT2 Second Waiting Time R1 First threshold R2 Second threshold P1 1st position P2 2nd position OP origin position S1 Origin return operation mode S2 Normal operation mode S103 First waiting time elapsed determination step (first waiting time elapsed determination means) S105 First fault detection step (first fault detection means) S106-S107 First position storage step (first position storage means) S110, S110' Second fault detection step (second fault detection means) S111-S112 First origin determination stop step (first origin determination stop means) S113 Third fault detection step (third fault detection means) S114 Second position storage step (second position storage means) S115-S116 Second origin determination stop step (second origin determination stop means)

Claims

1. A motor for opening and closing an opening / closing body, which is installed in an opening of a building or the like and is supported to be operable in both the opening and closing directions, A position detection unit detects the open / closed position of the opening / closing body based on the count value of motor rotation pulses that are output in a manner that allows identification of the direction of rotation and the amount of rotational change in conjunction with the rotation of the motor. An operation input unit that inputs an operation signal to instruct the opening / closing operation or stopping of the opening / closing body, A control method for an opening and closing device of an opening and closing body, comprising a control unit that controls the motor based on the operation signal and position information detected by the position detection unit, The opening / closing body has an upper end connected to a winding body that is rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions, and the opening / closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of the winding body. The motor rotates the winding body in the winding direction to wind up the opening / closing body, thereby opening the opening / closing body in the opening direction, while the motor rotates the winding body in the unwinding direction to unwind the opening / closing body, thereby closing the opening / closing body in the closing direction. The lower end of the opening / closing body has a seat plate member that can abut against the tatami mat provided at the upper end of the opening. The control unit, After power is turned on, before the normal operation mode in which the opening / closing body is opened and closed between a preset fully open position and a fully closed position based on the operation signal and the position information, the system is configured to perform an origin return operation mode in which it detects the position where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the lintel when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction, and this position is used as the origin position that serves as the reference for the fully open position and the fully closed position. In the aforementioned origin return operation mode, When the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction by input of the operation signal, a first waiting time elapsed determination step is made to determine whether a predetermined first waiting time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation until the rotation speed of the motor stabilizes, A first fault detection step detects that, after a predetermined detection invalidation time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation, and before the first waiting time has elapsed, or before the first waiting time has elapsed and a predetermined second waiting time has elapsed thereafter, a fault has begun to occur in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined first threshold based on the change in the rotation of the motor, A first position storage step in which, if a fault is detected in the first fault detection step, the initial detection position is stored as the first position, After the first waiting time has elapsed while the opening operation continues, if the first position has been stored at that time or before the second waiting time has elapsed, a second fault detection step detects that a fault is occurring in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined second threshold indicating that the motor is closer to a stopped state than the first threshold, If a fault is detected in the second fault detection step, the first origin determination stop step determines the first position to the origin position and stops the motor, A third fault detection step detects that, at the time when the first waiting period has elapsed, or between the time the first waiting period has elapsed and the time the second waiting period has elapsed, the first position has not been stored, or even if the first position has been stored, no fault was detected in the second fault detection step, and that a fault has begun to occur in the time thereafter, at the same first threshold as in the first fault detection step, that the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction. A second position storage step, in which, if a fault is detected in the third fault detection step, the detection location is stored as a second position, When the second position is stored, a second origin determination stop step is performed, in which the second position is determined to be the origin position and the motor is stopped. A method for controlling the opening and closing mechanism of an opening / closing body.

2. A motor for opening and closing an opening / closing body, which is installed in an opening of a building or the like and is supported to be operable in both the opening and closing directions, A position detection unit detects the open / closed position of the opening / closing body based on the count value of motor rotation pulses that are output in a manner that allows identification of the direction of rotation and the amount of rotational change in conjunction with the rotation of the motor. An operation input unit that inputs an operation signal to instruct the opening / closing operation or stopping of the opening / closing body, An opening and closing device for an opening and closing body, comprising a control unit that controls the motor based on the operation signal and position information detected by the position detection unit, The opening / closing body has an upper end connected to a winding body that is rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions, and the opening / closing body can be wound around the radial outer circumference of the winding body. The motor rotates the winding body in the winding direction to wind up the opening / closing body, thereby opening the opening / closing body in the opening direction, while the motor rotates the winding body in the unwinding direction to unwind the opening / closing body, thereby closing the opening / closing body in the closing direction. The lower end of the opening / closing body has a seat plate member that can abut against the tatami mat provided at the upper end of the opening. The control unit, After power is turned on, before the normal operation mode in which the opening / closing body is opened and closed between a preset fully open position and a fully closed position based on the operation signal and the position information, the system is configured to perform an origin return operation mode in which it detects the position where the seat plate member of the opening / closing body abuts against the lintel when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction, and this position is used as the origin position that serves as the reference for the fully open position and the fully closed position. A first waiting time elapsed determination means determines whether a predetermined first waiting time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation until the rotation speed of the motor stabilizes when the opening / closing body is opened in the opening direction by the input of the operation signal, A first fault detection means detects, after a predetermined detection invalidation time has elapsed from the start of the opening operation, and before the first waiting time has elapsed, or between the first waiting time and a predetermined second waiting time that follows, that a fault has begun to occur in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction, based on a predetermined first threshold value determined by a change in the rotation of the motor. A first position storage means that stores the initial detection position as the first position when detection occurs by the first fault detection means, After the first waiting time has elapsed while the opening operation continues, if the first position has been stored at that time or before the second waiting time has elapsed, a second fault detection means detects that a fault is occurring in which the opening / closing body can no longer move in the opening direction due to a predetermined second threshold indicating that the motor is closer to a stopped state than the first threshold, A first origin determination stop means that, when detection occurs by the second fault detection means, determines the first position to the origin position and stops the motor, A third fault detection means detects that, at the time when the first waiting period has elapsed or between the time the first waiting period has elapsed and the time between the time the second waiting period has elapsed, the first position has not been stored, or even if the first position has been stored, the second fault detection means has not detected a fault, and that, at the time thereafter, a fault has begun to occur that prevents the opening / closing body from moving any further in the opening direction by the same first threshold as the first fault detection means, A second position storage means stores the detected location as a second position when detection occurs by the third fault detection means, The system includes a second origin determination stop means that, when the second position is stored, determines the second position as the origin position and stops the motor, and these are performed in the origin return operation mode. A device for opening and closing an opening / closing body.

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