A gate actuator

Abstract

A gate actuator comprises: an elongated housing comprising a frame (12) and a casing (13), wherein the frame is configured to be mounted to the support and wherein the casing is slidable attached to the frame; an electric drive within the housing; and an arm (6) transmitting a rotation of the electric drive to a gate that is hingedly connected to the support. A water diverter (14) is provided on the upper circumference of the elongated housing for sealing a gap between the housing and the arm for preventing water infiltration in the housing.

Description

[0001] A gate actuator

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a gate actuator for actuating a gate that is rotatably connected to a support by means of a hinge. The present invention further relates to a closure system comprising the gate actuator.

[0004] Background art

[0005] Different types of gate actuators are known in the art, for example spring-biased gate actuators as disclosed in WO 2012 / 103572 that are intended solely for closing the gate; hydraulically damped spring-biased gate actuators as disclosed in WO 2018 / 228729 that are intended solely for closing the gate; and motorized gate actuators as disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359 that are intended for opening and closing the gate. The present invention generally relates to gate actuators of the latter type, which are operated by an electric drive. Due to the use of an electric drive, which thus serves for both the opening and closing of the gate, this kind of gate actuators is also often referred to by the term “gate opener”.

[0006] The gate actuator disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359 comprises: an elongated housing configured to be mounted to a support, wherein the elongated housing extends in a longitudinal direction between an upper end and a lower end; an electric drive within the housing, said electric drive having an output shaft that is rotatable (i.e. , in a rotational direction around the longitudinal direction) upon activation of the electric drive; and an arm extending between a proximal end and a distal end and configured for actuating the gate upon rotation of the output shaft, wherein the distal end is configured to be connected to the hinge or the gate and wherein the proximal end is coupled to the output shaft and is provided at its bottom with a raised edge extending away from the arm toward the elongated housing. The output shaft is usually rotatable in two opposite rotational directions, i.e., a first rotational direction (e.g., clockwise) for opening the gate and a second rotational direction (e.g., counterclockwise) for closing the gate.

[0007] A general problem with gate actuators (or gate closers) for outside use is water infiltration in the housing. This infiltration may result from unsealed openings in the gate actuator and lead to soiling, e.g., accumulation of dirt due to water flowing within the gate actuator. This is of course undesirable and can lead to malfunctions. Another form of water infiltration is condensation forming on the inside of the housing, which condensation can also interfere with the electric and / or electronic components of the gate actuator.

[0008] Description of the invention

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical gate actuator with an improved protection against water infiltration.

[0010] This aim is achieved according to the present invention in that the gate actuator further comprises a water diverter mounted to the upper circumference of the elongated housing, said water diverter being provided with: an outer part located on an outer side of the housing and extending away from the upper circumference toward the lower circumference; an inner part located on an inside of said raised edge and extending away from the upper circumference; and a connecting part between the outer part and the inner part.

[0011] The present invention is partly based on the realization that most water infiltration from outside originates in the area at the top the top of the gate actuator where the arm is coupled to the housing. Since the housing is static on the support and the arm is rotatable together with the gate, a gap is unavoidable between the arm and the housing. The absence of such a gap would give rise to high friction when actuating the gate.

[0012] The water diverter according to the present invention is specifically intended to seal the gap between the proximal end of the arm and the top of the housing. The specific construction of the water diverter combined with the raised edge at the bottom of the arm together make water infiltration virtually impossible. Water dripping down (due to gravity) from the arm may at most end up on the connecting part, but will then not be able to reach the inside of the housing, as this would require a movement of water against gravity in order to reach over the inner part of the water diverter.

[0013] In itself, this water diverter is sufficient to stop virtually all water infiltration from the top of the gate actuator. However, as already described above, water infiltration may also take place in the form of condensation. Moreover, a gate actuator may also employ two- or multi-part housing, e.g., a fixed frame and a removable, particularly slidable casing. The area where the frame and the casing meet (e.g., cooperating grooves and ribs) forms an additional opening through which water infiltration is possible. The gate actuator according to the embodiments of the present invention therefore aims to divert as much water that has made it into the housing as possible toward the inner wall of the housing, and through there back out again, and in this way to keep the different functional components of the gate actuator optimally free of water.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises: a lower component provided with a further raised edge extending toward the lower circumference of the housing; and a further water diverter located on the lower circumference of the elongated housing, said further water diverter being provided with: an outer part located on an outer side of said further raised edge and extending away from the lower circumference; an inner part located on an inside of the housing and extending away from the lower circumference toward the upper circumference; and a connecting part between the outer part and the inner part. Preferably, the further water diverter further comprises a further outer part located on an outer side of the housing and extending away from the lower circumference toward the upper circumference, wherein the outer part and the further outer part of the further water diverter are contiguous and wherein the inner part of the further water diverter has a length greater than the further outer part of the further water diverter.

[0015] In this embodiment, the bottom of the housing is completed with a lower component in which a further water diverter prevents water infiltration between the lower edge of the housing and the lower component. To this end, the further water diverter has an inner part that is (seen in the longitudinal direction of the gate actuator) higher than the outer part. Due to gravity and the law of communicating vessels, it is therefore not easy for water to pass the high inner wall from outside.

[0016] A further advantage is that water already present inside the housing and dripping down from the inside of the housing, will also be drained to outside of the housing via the raised inner part.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the lower component comprises a lighting module, e.g., LED lighting.

[0018] Providing lighting at the bottom of the gate actuator offers an additional light seamlessly integrated into the gate actuator. This light can serve as a warning for indicating a movement (i.e. , opening or closing) of the gate. The lighting can also serve as mood lighting. The lighting is preferably able to generate light in different colors, e.g., white light for illumination, red light for warning that the gate is moving or about to move, etc.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the gate actuator is further provided with an electronic control within the housing which is configured for controlling the gate actuator.

[0020] In the state of the art, the electronic control of a gate actuator is incorporated into the support to which the gate actuator is mounted. The reason for this is that a large volume is available inside the support for housing components. This comes with the drawback, however, that a sufficiently large opening needs to be made in the hollow support to allow the electronic control to be inserted into the support, which may lead to damage to its finish (e.g., its paintwork) as well as adversely affecting structural integrity. In order to prevent this, in this embodiment, the electronic control is located inside the housing.

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the electronic control is surrounded by a watertight casing, said casing comprising: a tubular sheath having a free upper edge; a lower cover; and an upper cover. The upper cover may be formed by a collar on the inside of the housing, wherein the free upper edge of the tubular sheath of the electronic control is connected to the collar so as to be watertight.

[0022] Since the electronic control is one of the most vulnerable components to adverse effects due to water infiltration, it is advantageous to group all electronics as much as possible in one area, and to surround this entire area by a watertight casing.

[0023] As an integrally formed casing is not technically feasible (since electronic components need to be inserted), it is advantageous to implement the sheath and the upper cover as separate components. This also simplifies the connection of the electronic control to the electric drive, which is usually located above it.

[0024] The watertight coupling between the free upper edge and the (internal) collar may for example be achieved by implementing the free upper edge as an inwardly stepped edge. The collar then has a raised wall (or rib) at its outer side which partially overlaps the inwardly stepped collar. In this way, us is again made of the principle of water dripping down from a higher element (i.e., the collar) onto a lower element (i.e., the tubular sheath) comprising a raised edge at its inside which thus prevents further water infiltration to the inside. Another way to achieve the watertight coupling is providing a seal between the free upper edge and the collar.

[0025] The lower cover can be integrally formed with the tubular sheath.

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the lower cover is substantially plate-shaped and is provided with a raised outer edge having a recess at the outer side, and in that said tubular sheath has a lower free edge that fits into said recess. It is easier from a production point of view not to form the lower cover integrally with the tubular sheath. In order to couple these elements to each other in a watertight way, it was decided to use overlapping edges with a higher inner edge (i.e. , that of the raised edge) than the place where water drips down from the tubular sheath. This avoids the need for a separate seal.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the electric drive comprises an electric motor and a reducer separated by a ring-shaped spacer, wherein the electric motor has a further output shaft extending through the ring-shaped spacer and to which the reducer is mounted, and wherein the reducer comprises said output shaft.

[0028] An electric motor is advantageous due to its compact size, which allows it to be incorporated into a housing that fits onto a support, particularly a hollow tube, i.e., without protruding relative the outer dimension of the support. A reducer is intended for lowering the rpm and increasing the torque of the electric motor so that the gate can be actuated with sufficient power. In an embodiment, the reducer has a reduction comprised between 1 :100 and 1 :1000, for example 1 :200 or 1 :400. As described below, the ring-shaped spacer is advantageous for preventing water infiltration in the electric motor and / or the reducer.

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises a ring-shaped component positioned around said output shaft, and in that the reducer is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath having a free lower edge and a free upper edge connected to the ring-shaped component so as to be watertight.

[0030] As the reducer may be adversely affected due to water infiltration, it is advantageous to surround it with a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath. The latter is then watertightly coupled with a ring-shaped component located above the reducer. This watertight coupling may be achieved in different ways, such as by means of a sealing ring or by means of overlapping edges with an inner edge being higher than a dripping edge on the outer side.

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that one or more fasteners are arranged through the free upper edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the reducer and are engaged in the ring-shaped component.

[0032] This allows the sheath of the reducer to be fixed to the ring-shaped component at the top so as to obtain a sturdy whole. An additional seal may be provided for the fasteners.

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises a ring-shaped component positioned around said output shaft, said ring-shaped component being configured for receiving fasteners for attaching the elongated housing to the support.

[0034] The ring-shaped component is therefore a static element that does not rotate along with an output shaft. The reducer is located below (seen in the longitudinal direction) the ring-shaped component with the output shaft extending therethrough. This is advantageous for preventing or reducing torsional forces. Indeed, the force transfer between the gate actuator and the gate is concentrated at the location of the output shaft and the arm, while the force transfer between the gate actuator and the support is concentrated at the location of the ring-shaped component. Creating a large distance between these elements may give rise to torsional forces, which is undesirable.

[0035] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that one or more fasteners are arranged through the free lower edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the reducer and are engaged in the ring-shaped spacer.

[0036] This allows the sheath of the reducer to be fixed to the ring-shaped spacer at the bottom so as to obtain a sturdy whole. An additional seal may be provided for the fasteners.

[0037] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the reducer is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath having a free upper edge and a free lower edge connected so as to be watertight to the ring-shaped spacer, and in that the electric motor is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath having a free lower edge and a free upper edge connected so as to be watertight to the ring-shaped spacer.

[0038] Since the electric motor and the reducer may be adversely affected due to water infiltration, it is advantageous to surround it with a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath. The watertight coupling between both sheaths and the ring-shaped spacer may be achieved in different ways, such as by means of a sealing ring or by means of overlapping edges with an inner edge being higher than a dripping edge on the outer side.

[0039] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the electric motor is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath having a free lower edge and a free upper edge, and in that the gate actuator further comprises a collar on the inside of the housing, wherein the free lower edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the electric motor is connected to the collar so as to be watertight.

[0040] Since the electric motor may be adversely affected due to water infiltration it is advantageous to surround it with a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath. The latter is then watertightly coupled with a collar located under the electric motor. This watertight coupling may be achieved in different ways, such as by means of a sealing ring or by means of overlapping edges with an inner edge being higher than a dripping edge on the outer side.

[0041] The advantages described above are also achieved by means of a closure system comprising a support, a gate that is hingedly connected to the support, and a gate actuator as described above.

[0042] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the elongated housing is attached to the support and in that the closure system further comprises a rail mounted to the gate, wherein the distal end of the arm is engaged in said rail.

[0043] The use of a rail on the gate allows the gate actuator, contrary to the one disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359, to act directly on the gate without intervention of the hinge. The gate actuator can therefore be used in closure systems where the hinge is not easily accessible, e.g., a hinge between the support and the gate.

[0044] Brief description of the drawings

[0045] The invention will now be further elucidated by means of the following description and the appended figures.

[0046] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a gate actuator according to the present invention mounted to a closure system.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a gate actuator according to the present invention.

[0048] Figure 3 shows the gate actuator of figure 2 with the casing removed from the frame.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a cross section in the longitudinal direction through the gate actuator of figure 2. For the sake of clarity of figure 4, hatching indicating a cut element has been omitted and a number of the internal components have not been drawn.

[0050] Figures 5A to 5F show details of the parts circled in figure 4, indicated with the letters A to F.

[0051] Figure 5G shows a detail of the part circled in figure 5B with the letter G.

[0052] Figure 5H shows a detail of the part circled in figure 5C with the letter H.

[0053] Embodiments of the invention

[0054] The present invention will now be described with respect to particular embodiments and in reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto and is defined only by the claims. The drawings presented here are merely schematic depictions and are nonlimiting. In the drawings, the sizes of some of the elements may be exaggerated, meaning that the elements in question are not drawn to scale and are only intended for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0055] Furthermore, terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, and the like are used in the description and in the claims for distinguishing between similar elements, and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0056] Moreover, terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “over”, “under”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”, and the like are used in the description and in the claims for descriptive purposes. The terms so used, in particular “top”, “bottom”, “over”, “under”, “front” and “rear”, are to be understood and read in the context of the normal positioning of the gate actuator, with its longitudinal direction substantially coinciding with the vertical direction.

[0057] The term “comprising” and terms derived therefrom, as used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, without however precluding the presence or addition of one or more additional features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of an expression such as “a device comprising means A and B” is not limited solely to devices consisting only of components A and B. What is meant, on the contrary, is that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components are A and B.

[0058] The term “substantially” includes variations departing + / - 10% or less, preferably + / - 5% or less, more preferably + / - 1 % or less, and more preferably + / - 0, 1 % or less, from the specified condition, to the extent that these variations are applicable to the functioning in the disclosed invention. It will be understood that the term “mainly A” or “substantially A” is intended to also include “A” itself.

[0059] The invention generally relates to an electrically driven gate actuator 3 for actuating (i.e., opening or closing) a closure system, more specifically a closure system for outside use (i.e., as part of a fence, a barrier, a gate, etc.). The closure system (shown in figure 1 ) comprises a post 1 (more generally a support, such as a wall, a pole, a hollow tube, etc.) and a gate 2 (more generally a rotatable closing member, such as a gate, a door, a window, etc.). In the context of a closure system for outside use, the support 1 is often constituted by a hollow tube. This hollow tube typically has a square or rectangular cross section with outer dimensions of 4 cm, 5 cm or 6 cm (e.g., a rectangular cross section of 4x6 cm or a square cross section of 4x4 cm). The hollow tube may also have a circular cross section, with a typical outer diameter being 4 cm, 5 cm or 6 cm.

[0060] The gate 2 is mounted to the support 1 by means of hinges 4, particularly eyebolt hinges, for example as disclosed in EP 1528202, EP 2778331 or EP 3162997, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. At the other side of the gate 2, an extra support 5 is provided, which may be provided with a lock and holder assembly, for example using a lock disclosed in EP 1118559, EP 2915939, EP 2186974, EP 3153645, EP 4191007 or EP 4245951 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and a holder disclosed in EP 1600584, EP 1680567, EP 3 153 645, EP 4159958 or EP 4245951 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0061] The gate actuator 3 shown in figure 1 has an arm 6 that directly engages the upper hinge 4. The arm 6 therefore extends between a proximal end 6a (in the embodiment shown, this proximal end is discshaped) and a distal end 6b provided with a protruding pin 9 engaging the hinge 4 to urge the gate 2 to its closed position. More specifically, the arm 6 engages a coupling mechanism provided on the eyebolt hinge 4, as disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the illustrated embodiment, the arm 6 is made of aluminum, though other materials are also possible.

[0062] A variant gate actuator 3 is shown in figure 2. This gate actuator 3 is not intended to directly act on the hinge 4, but is intended to act on the gate 2. To this end, a rail 7 is provided, which is intended to be fixed to the gate 2. The rail 7 is therefore attached to the gate 2 by means of fasteners 8. Preferably, mounting sets are used as disclosed in EP 1907712 or EP 3575617, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The arm 6 extends between a proximal end 6a (in the embodiment shown, this proximal end is disc-shaped) and a distal end 6b provided with a protruding pin 9 engaging the rail 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the arm 6 is made of aluminum, though other materials are also possible.

[0063] The gate actuator 3 in general comprises an elongated housing 10 extending in a longitudinal direction 11 between an upper end 10a and a lower end 10b. During normal use, the longitudinal direction 11 substantially coincides with the vertical direction. The elongated housing 10 is mounted to the support 1 by means of one or more fasteners 16. Preferably, mounting sets are used as disclosed in EP 1907712 or EP 3575617, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other ways to mount the gate actuator 3 to the closure system are also possible, and the details are known to the person skilled in the art.

[0064] The elongated housing 10 can be made from different materials and using different production methods. In the embodiment shown (as can be seen in figure 3), the elongated housing 10 is made up of a frame 12 (particularly a plastic frame) attached to the support 1. Mounted thereto is a casing 13 that is preferably made by means of extrusion of aluminum, though other materials, particularly metals, may also be used. The housing 10 is therefore a multi-part housing. The top 10a of the housing 10 is sealed by an upper seal 14 and the bottom 10b of the housing 10 is sealed by a lower seal 15. These seals 14, 15 may be made from metals or plastic, wherein plastic is preferred as it is easier to use in an injection molding process.

[0065] In the embodiment shown, the frame 12 comprises a substantially planar rear wall having two opposing upright side walls 61 at its outer sides. The substantially planar rear wall is intended to be mounted with its outer side (or its rear) against the support 1 . In the embodiment shown, the outer side is substantially planar, but, as already described above, it may also follow a cylindrical surface to be mounted against a round support 1 . In the upright side walls 61 , a groove (not shown) is arranged, extending in the longitudinal direction 11. These grooves are preferably each a dovetail groove. The casing 13 is provided on its inside with ribs (not shown) sliding in corresponding dovetail grooves so that the casing 13 can be slid in the longitudinal direction 11 onto the frame 12.

[0066] In figure 3, the casing is removed from the frame 12, exposing the internal components of the gate actuator 3.

[0067] Figure 3 shows a mounting body 22 mounted to the arm 6 at its proximal end 6a. This is for example done, such as shown in figure 5A, by means of a bolt 23 (or a fastener in general) fixing the mounting body 22 to the arm 6. The mounting body 22 is inserted at the upper end 10a of the housing 10. For this reason, in the embodiment shown, the mounting body 22 is substantially cylindrical, so that it can rotate within the housing 10.

[0068] Figure 3 further illustrates a mounting ring 30 arranged for mounting the gate actuator 3 to the support 1 by means of two mounting sets 16. For this purpose, the mounting ring 30 is provided with two through openings 31 with part of a fastener 16 extending through each, respectively. The mounting ring 30 is arranged within the housing 10 and is hidden from view by the casing 13. The mounting ring 30 is therefore a static element that does not rotate along with the output shaft. The electric drive is located below (seen in the longitudinal direction 1 1 ) the mounting ring 30 met an output shaft (i.e., that of the electric motor 50 or of the reducer 51 , if present) extending through the mounting ring 30. Placing the mounting ring 30 around the output shaft is advantageous for preventing or reducing torsional forces. Indeed, the force transfer between the gate actuator 3 and the gate 2 is concentrated at the location of the output shaft and the mounting body 22, while the force transfer between the gate actuator 3 and the support 1 is concentrated at the location of the mounting ring 30. Creating a large distance between these elements may give rise to torsional forces, which is undesirable.

[0069] The gate actuator 3 comprises an electric drive. This drive comprises at least an electric motor 50 and may, if so desired, also comprise a reducer 51 for lowering the rpm and increasing the torque of the electric motor 50. In the embodiment shown, a reducer 51 is present. An electric motor 50 is advantageous due to its compact size, which allows it to be incorporated into a housing 10 that fits onto a support 1 , particularly a hollow tube, i.e. , without protruding relative the outer dimension of the support 1. In an embodiment, the electric drive comprises a reducer 51 with a reduction comprised between 1 :100 and 1 :1000, for example 1 :200 or 1 :400.

[0070] The electric drive, particularly the electric motor 50, comprises a motor body (not shown) having the means required for rotating an output shaft (not shown). This may be the output shaft of the electric motor or, if a reducer 51 is present, that of the reducer 51 . This output shaft extends to the top 10a of the housing 10. Upon activation of the electric motor, the output shaft is rotatable in two opposite rotational directions about the longitudinal direction 11 .

[0071] The electric drive is further provided with an electronic control 55 for controlling the gate actuator 3. In the state of the art, this electronic control is incorporated into the support 1 . The reason for this is that a large volume is available inside the support 1 for housing components. This comes with the drawback, however, that a sufficiently large opening needs to be made in the hollow support 1 which may lead to damage to its finish (e.g., its paintwork) as well as adversely affecting structural integrity. In order to prevent this, in the embodiment shown, the electronic control 55 is located inside the housing 10. The electronic control 55 preferably allows the resting position of the arm 6 to be calibrated as soon as the gate actuator 3 is mounted onto the closure system. To be precise, reference number 55 in figure 3 refers to a housing into which the electronic control is inserted, which contributes to the protection of the electronic control against soiling, e.g., moisture, insects, etc.

[0072] Below (seen in the longitudinal direction 11 ) the electronic control 55, a power supply 56 is provided. It is typically connected to an external power grid by wiring (not shown). This wiring then typically extends through the rear wall of the frame 12, for example via opening 77 shown in figure 4, into the hollow support 1 so as to be hidden from view as well as protected against soiling, e.g., moisture, insects, etc.

[0073] Figure 3 further illustrates internally inside the housing 10, a double ring-shaped structure is present at the bottom of the frame 12. This structure comprises a support ring 57 onto which a lighting ring 58 is mounted, particularly LED lighting. The lighting 58 is preferably able to generate light in different colors, e.g., white light for illumination, red light for warning that the gate 2 is moving or about to move, etc. The support ring 57 has a raised inner wall 59 extending at the inside of the lighting ring 58 in the longitudinal direction 11 beyond the lighting ring 58. Figure s further illustrates that the lower seal 15 is provided with a transparent portion 63. The transparent portion 63 is ring-shaped and corresponds to the lighting ring 58 so that the light generated by the lighting is visible at the outer side of the gate actuator 3.

[0074] Figure 3 also illustrates that a lock barrel 64 (lock in general) is provided at the bottom of the gate actuator 3, which is operable by means of a key 65. The lock barrel 64 is provided with a latch (not shown) which, by operating the lock 64, is rotatable (movable in general) between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, the latch engages a support that is fixed to the frame 12, e.g., via the support ring 57. In this way, the lock 64 ensures that the casing 13 is not slidable relative to the frame 12. It should be understood that, in other embodiments, the lock can be mounted to the frame using a latch that engages the casing.

[0075] The electronic control 55 in the gate actuator 3 is, generally speaking, a computer system comprising a bus, a processor, a local memory and one or more input / output (I / O) interfaces. The bus comprises one or more conductors and allows communication between the different components of the computer system. Processor comprises any type of conventional processor or microprocessor that reads and executes computer programming instructions. Local memory is intended to include any form of computer readable medium for information storage, such as a working memory (e.g., Random Access Memory - RAM), a static memory (e.g., a Read-Only Memory - ROM), a hard drive, or removable storage media (e.g., a DVD, CD, USB storage, SSD, etc.), etc. The local memory is typically used for storing information and instructions to be processed by the processor 34. The I / O interface may comprise one or more conventional systems enabling communication between the electronic control 55 and a user. Examples of this are a keyboard, a mouse, speech recognition, biometric means, a (touch) screen, a printer, a speaker, a code keypad, etc. The IO module also comprises a communication interface, such as a transceiver system, allowing communication with external systems, such as the electric motor 50 and an end terminal (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc. optionally supporting a specific application). Examples of this are a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as the Internet, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) such as Sigfox, LoRa, NarrowBand loT, etc., a Personal Area Network (PAN), such as Bluetooth, or a Local Area Network (LAN).

[0076] The present invention relating to the prevention or reduction of water infiltration will now be described with reference to figure 4 and its details shown in figures 5A to 5G. In figure 4 the central longitudinal axis 90 of the gate actuator 3 is shown schematically. In what follows, the terms “inside” / " inner” and “outsideTouter” are to be read in a relative sense, as the position of an element relative to the central longitudinal axis 90, wherein an “inner” element is located at a smaller radiale distance (i.e., radius) from the central longitudinal axis 90 than an “outer” element.

[0077] Figure 4 shows that a cover 14 is provided between the disc-shaped proximal end 6a of the arm 6 and the housing 10. This cover 14 is shown in more detail in figure 5A and comprises an outer part 14a, an inner part 14b and a connecting part 14c. The outer part 14a extends downward in the longitudinal direction 11 around the top 10a of the housing. The proximal end 6a is provided at its bottom with a ring-shaped groove 81 which thus forms a raised edge 80. The inner part 14b extends upward in the longitudinal direction 11 along the raised edge 80. Therefore, water ending up on the arm 6 will drip downward, due to gravity, along the outer surface of the disc-shaped proximal end 6a. It accumulates at the lower end of the raised edge 80 and then drips onto the outer part 14a and / or the connecting part 14c. As the inside of the connecting part 14c is limited by the raising inner part 14b, water can only drip down further along the outer part 14a to the housing 10. The cover 14 thus serves as a water diverter between the upper circumference of the housing 10 and the arm 6.

[0078] Figure 5A further illustrates that the mounting element 22 (by which the output shaft of the electric drive 50, 51 is coupled to the arm 6) is provided at its bottom with a downward extending peripheral rim 82 forming the outermost element of the mounting element 22. This downward extending peripheral rim 82 fits into a recess 83 provided at the top of the mounting ring 30. As a result, water dripping down along the inside of the housing 10 or along the outer side of the mounting element 22 is kept from reaching the inside of the mounting ring 30. Instead, the water is diverted to the inside of the housing 10, along which it can flow downward.

[0079] Arranged beneath the mounting ring 30 is the reducer 51 . This is not shown in figure 4 for the sake of clarity of the figure. The reducer 51 is surrounded by a cylindrical sheath 84. This sheath 84 has a free upper edge which is fixed to the mounting ring 30 by means of bolts 85 (fasteners in general) as shown in figure 5C. Between the mounting ring 30 and the inside of the sheath 84, a sealing ring 86 is provided, as shown in the detail of figure 5H. In the embodiment shown, it is present under the bolts 85 for preventing water infiltration to the reducer 51 .

[0080] A further improvement for preventing water infiltration in the reducer 51 is to implement the openings in the mounting ring 30 into which the bolts 85 extend as cavities, i.e. , not extending through to the inside of the mounting ring 30.

[0081] As shown in figure 5B, the cylindrical sheath 84 of the reducer 51 is provided at its lower free edge with a downward extending peripheral rim 92 to which a ring-shaped spacer 87 is coupled so as to be watertight. This being watertight is due on the one hand to the downward extending peripheral rim 92 overlapping a raised inner wall formed on the outer side of the ring-shaped spacer 87. Furthermore, a sealing ring 89 is arranged between the downward extending peripheral rim 92 and the ring-shaped spacer 87, as shown in the detail of figure 5G. The ring-shaped spacer 87 is fixed to the bottom of the sheath 84 by means of bolts 88 (fasteners in general). Note that these bolts 88 are arranged in cavities, so that no water infiltration is possible via through openings to the inside of the ring-shaped spacer 87.

[0082] The reducer 51 is thus generally surrounded by a substantially watertight casing constructed from the mounting ring 30, the cylindrical sheath 84 and the ring-shaped spacer 87.

[0083] The ring-shaped spacer 87 serves as a divider between the reducer 51 and the electric motor 50. The electric motor 50 is not shown in figure 4 for the sake of clarity of the figure. The electric motor 50 is surrounded by a cylindrical sheath 91 . Figure 5B shows the coupling between the sheath 91 and the ring-shaped spacer 87. To this end, the ring-shaped spacer 87 is provided at its bottom with a raised edge 93 partially overlapping the inside of the sheath 91 . For preventing water infiltration in the electric motor 50, a sealing ring (not shown) may optionally be provided here. Alternatively (or additionally) the raised edge 93 could overlap the outer side of the sheath 91 .

[0084] As shown in figure 5D, the electric motor 50 is limited at the bottom by a disc 94 forming a collar at the inside of the housing 10. This disc 94 is fixed to the ring-shaped spacer 87 by means of a long bolt 99 (or different fastener) extending through the sheath 91 . The disc 94 has a raised edge 95 (shown in figure 5D) overlapping at the inside of the sheath 91 for draining water dripping down the inside of the sheath 91 to the outer side. An opening 96 is provided in the disc 94 through which cables (not shown) can be directed to connect the electronic control 55 and / or the power supply 56 to the electric motor 50.

[0085] The electric motor 50 is thus generally surrounded by a substantially watertight casing constructed from the ring-shaped spacer 87, the cylindrical sheath 91 and the disc 94.

[0086] As shown in figures 4 and 5D, the disc 94 also forms the upper cover of the casing around the electronic control 55. More specifically, the electronic control 55 is surrounded by a tubular sheath 97. In the embodiment shown, the latter is fixed to the frame 12 by means of bolts 100 (fasteners in general). The upper edge of the sheath 97 has an inwardly stepped profile overlapping at the inside of the disc 94. The casing around the electronic control 55 is completed with a lower cover 98 that is substantially planar, with a raised outer edge 98a in which a recess is provided so as to overlap the lower edge of the sheath 97 at the inside (as shown in figure 5E). An additional seal may optionally be provided between the sheath 97 and the disc 94 and / or between the sheath 97 and the cover 98.

[0087] Lastly, figure 5F illustrates the design of the lower cover 15 placed on the lower circumference of the housing 10. This cover 15 comprises an inner part 15d extending upward in the longitudinal direction 11 , an outer part with an upper component 15a extending upward in the longitudinal direction 11 and a lower component 15b extending downward in the longitudinal direction 11 , and a connecting part 15c. The inner part 15d is higher than the upper component 15a, so that no water infiltration is possible from outside the housing 10 to inside. Moreover, the inner part 15d ensures that water dripping down at the inside of the housing 10 is drained away.

[0088] Furthermore, the lower component 15b is also located at the outer side of the lower finishing element 63 of the gate actuator 3. This lower finishing element 63 (with a transparent section for illumination as described above) has a raised outer edge overlapping the inside of the lower component 15b of the seal 15.

[0089] Although certain aspects of the present invention have been described in relation to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope as determined by the claims.

Claims

Claims1. A gate actuator (3) for actuating a gate (2) that is rotatably connected to a support (1 ) by means of a hinge (4), the gate actuator comprising:- an elongated housing (10) extending in a longitudinal direction (11 ) between an upper end (10a) and a lower end (10b) and configured to be mounted to the support;- an electric drive (50, 51 ) within the elongated housing, said electric drive having an output shaft that is rotatable upon activation of the electric drive; and- an arm (6) positioned at the upper end of the elongated housing, which arm extends between a proximal end (6a) and a distal end (6b) and is configured for actuating the gate upon rotation of the output shaft, wherein the distal end is configured to be connected to the gate or the hinge and wherein the proximal end is coupled to the output shaft and is provided at its bottom with a raised edge extending away from the arm toward the elongated housing, characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises a water diverter (14) mounted to the upper circumference of the elongated housing, said water diverter being provided with:- an outer part (14a) located on an outer side of the housing and extending away from the upper circumference toward the lower circumference;- an inner part (14b) located on an inside of said raised edge and extending away from the upper circumference; and- a connecting part (14c) between the outer part and the inner part.

2. The gate actuator according to claim 1 , characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises:- a lower component (63), which preferably comprises a lighting module, provided with a further raised edge extending toward the lower circumference of the housing; and- a further water diverter (15) located on the lower circumference of the elongated housing, said further water diverter being provided with:- an outer part (15b) located on an outer side of said further raised edge and extending away from the lower circumference;- an inner part (15d) located on an inside of the housing and extending away from the lower circumference toward the upper circumference; and- a connecting part (15c) between the outer part and the inner part.

3. The gate actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that the further water diverter is further provided with a further outer part (15a) located on an outer side of the housing and extending away from the lower circumference toward the upper circumference, wherein the outer part and the further outer part of the further water diverter are contiguous and wherein the inner part of the further water diverter has a length greater than the further outer part of the further water diverter.

4. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the gate actuator is further provided with an electronic control (55) within the housing which is configured for controlling the gate actuator.

5. The gate actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that the electronic control is surrounded by a watertight casing, said casing comprising: a tubular sheath (97) having a free upper edge; a lower cover (98); and an upper cover (94).

6. The gate actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that the lower cover is substantially plate-shaped and is provided with a raised outer edge having a recess at the outer side, and in that said tubular sheath has a lower free edge that fits into said recess.

7. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the electric drive comprises an electric motor and a reducer (51 ) separated by a ring-shaped spacer (87), wherein the electric motor has a further output shaft extending through the ring-shaped spacer and to which the reducer is mounted, and wherein the reducer comprises said output shaft.

8. The gate actuator according to claim 7, characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises a ring-shaped component (30) positioned around said output shaft, and in that the reducer is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath (84) having a free lower edge and a free upper edge connected to the ring-shaped component so as to be watertight.

9. The gate actuator according to claim 8, characterized in that one or more fasteners (85) are arranged through the free upper edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the reducer and are engaged in the ring- shaped component.

10. The gate actuator according to any of the claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the gate actuator further comprises a ring-shaped component (30) positioned around said output shaft, said ring-shaped component being configured for receiving fasteners for attaching the elongated housing to the support.11 . The gate actuator according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the reducer is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath (84) having a free upper edge and a free lower edge connected so as to be watertight to the ring-shaped spacer, and in that the electric motor is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical,watertight sheath (91 ) having a free lower edge and a free upper edge connected so as to be watertight to the ring-shaped spacer.

12. The gate actuator according to claim 11 , characterized in that one or more fasteners (88) are arranged through the free lower edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the reducer and are engaged in the ring- shaped spacer.

13. The gate actuator according to any of the claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the electric motor is surrounded by a tubular, particularly cylindrical, watertight sheath (91 ) having a free lower edge and a free upper edge, and in that the gate actuator further comprises a collar (94) on the inside of the housing, wherein the free lower edge of the tubular watertight sheath of the electric motor is connected to the collar so as to be watertight.

14. A closure system comprising a support (1 ) and a gate (2) that is hingedly connected to the support, characterized in that the closure system further comprises a gate actuator (3) according to any of the previous claims.

15. The closure system according to claim 14, characterized in that the elongated housing (10) is attached to the support and in that the closure system further comprises a rail (7) mounted to the gate, wherein the distal end of the arm is engaged in said rail.

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