A gate actuator

Abstract

A gate actuator comprises: an elongated housing intended to be mounted to a support; an electric drive within the housing, said electric drive having an output shaft (17) that is rotatable; and an arm (6) transferring a rotation of the output shaft to a gate that is hingedly connected to the support. The output shaft is provided with a spline (29) on its outer wall. The arm comprises a mounting body (22), having a cavity therein that corresponds to the spline, wherein the output shaft extends at least partially into the cavity. The mounting element further comprises a transverse cavity (35) in which an at least partially conical body (36) is arranged that urges the output shaft against the cavity in a radial direction. As a result, the spline ridges on the output shaft are urged against the corresponding cavity for accommodating for a manufacturing tolerance and a sliding clearance between the splined shaft and the cavity.

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 to actuate (i.e., open or close) the gate upon rotation of the output shaft, wherein the proximal end is coupled to the output shaft and wherein the distal end is configured to be connected to the hinge or the gate. The output shaft is usually rotatable in two opposite rotational directions, i.e., a first rotational direction for opening the gate and a second rotational direction for closing the gate. WO 2019 / 048359 discloses little to no details about the connection between the output shaft and the arm. This connection is only shown in cross section in the figures 7 to 10 of WO 2019 / 048359. From these, it can be deduced that the output shaft is substantially pin-shaped and fits into cavity provided for this purpose in the proximal end of the arm. WO 2019 / 048359 describes no further details about the connection between the output shaft and the arm.

[0007] Description of the invention

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical gate actuator with an improved connection between the output shaft and the arm.

[0009] This aim is achieved according to the present invention in that the output shaft is provided at its outer wall with a spline extending in said longitudinal direction and the arm is provided at its proximal end with a mounting body having a cavity therein that corresponds to the spline and faces the elongated housing, wherein the output shaft extends at least partially into the cavity, and the mounting element is provided with a transverse cavity in which an at least partially conical body is arranged that urges the output shaft against said cavity in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0010] First of all, the use of a splined output shaft that fits into a corresponding cavity results in a direct coupling between the output shaft of the electric drive and the arm transferring the rotational movement to the gate or to the hinge. This coupling does not require any additional elements, such as a transverse pin extending through the arm and the output shaft. Thus, according to the present invention, a direct coupling is provided between the output shaft of the electric drive and the arm without requiring any additional and / or intermediate elements.

[0011] Furthermore, the transverse cavity and the at least partially conical body together ensure that the output shaft is urged against a side wall of the cavity in the arm. More specifically, the at least partially conical body exerts a pressure against the output shaft (as well as a counterpressure on the mounting element that is part of the arm) that causes the output shaft and the mounting element to be urged apart at the location of the conical body in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the conical body. By urging the output shaft and the mounting element apart at the location of the conical body, an opposite effect is produced at the opposing side of the output shaft, where the output shaft and the mounting element are therefore urged against each other. This urging against each other is, as described below, advantageous as it causes the spline ridges on the output shaft to be urged against the corresponding cavity.

[0012] The reason for this is that a splined shaft that fits into a corresponding cavity does not always fit exactly. There is always a manufacturing tolerance, which may be different for the spline and the cavity, as well as a minimum sliding clearance that is typically provided so that the splined shaft can be slid into the cavity with minimal resistance. As a result of this tolerance between the splined shaft and the cavity in the arm, upon activation of the electric drive, a certain initial rotation (e.g., of a few degrees) of the output shaft takes place without transmission to the arm, which is undesired. Additionally, this same tolerance is also visually disadvantageous with the gate in its open position, as again, the same small rotation of the arm relative to the output shaft is possible. The gate thus gives the impression of not being entirely fixed. Due to the conical body urging the output shaft against the corresponding cavity, the tolerance, and the disadvantages associated with it, are locally eliminated by urging the splined shaft locally against the corresponding cavity.

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that at least the conical part of the at least partially conical body is rotationally symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis of the at least partially conical body. Preferably, the entire at least partially conical body is rotationally symmetrical relative to its longitudinal axis.

[0014] The use of a rotationally symmetrical conical part avoids the need to arrange the conical body in a specific orientation in the transverse cavity. Therefore, this does not need to be taken into account during installation of the gate actuator.

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the transverse cavity is formed through a through opening through the mounting element, which transverse cavity is provided with an internal collar. Preferably the at least partially conical body comprises a head, an elongated body and a free end, said free end being provided with a thread engaged by a fastener, said fastener at least partially abutting against the internal collar in order to pull the at least partially conical body toward the internal collar. More preferably, the free end is provided with a cavity in which said thread is arranged internally, and wherein said fastener is a bolt with its head abutting against the internal collar.

[0016] A transverse cavity in the form of a through opening allows for the provision of an additional securing element for keeping the conical body in its desired location relative to the mounting body of the arm. More specifically, an additional fastener (such as a nut or a bolt) can be provided on the free end of the conical body, e.g., by means of thread, abutting against the internal collar and thus contributing to the positioning of the conical body in the longitudinal direction of the through opening. Here, it is most advisable to use a bolt as an additional fastener abutting with its head against the internal collar and engaging an internal thread provided in a cavity in the free end of the conical body. Indeed, the alternative variant of a nut requires a thinned down free end of the conical body so as to be able to extend through the internal collar, and is therefore only able to absorb smaller forces.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the transverse cavity is provided with a thread engaged by the at least partially conical body. In this way, the conical body can be translated in the longitudinal direction of the transverse cavity by means of a rotation. A translation results in a smaller or greater force onto the output shaft due to the presence of the conical part. In other words, the position of the conical body can easily be varied, e.g., in the event that wear should occur on the output shaft over time, which wear could result in additional clearance between the shaft and the arm.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the spline on the output shaft is serrated. In other words, a serrated shaft is used. It is typically provided with a uniform spline, so that the position of the output shaft relative to the conical body in the rotational direction does not have to be taken into account. Moreover, a serrated shaft has a large number of spline ridges, so that the pressure generated during transfer of the rotation is lower when compared to a smaller number of spline ridges (i.e. , a smaller contact surface) for a same force.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the output shaft has a hypothetical center line extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the transverse cavity is surrounded by a smallest hypothetical cylinder that does not intersect with said hypothetical center line. In particular, a shortest distance between said smallest hypothetical cylinder and said hypothetical center line is at least 1 cm.

[0020] The transverse cavity in which the conical body is arranged, is thus spaced from the hypothetical center line of the output shaft. As a result, the conical body pushes against an outer side of the output shaft, instead of a more complex construction in which the conical body partially extends through the output shaft. In such a more complex construction, the conical body then pushes the output shaft away in its longitudinal direction, which is (also) transverse to the longitudinal direction of the elongated housing. The minimal distance of at least 1 cm allows for the provision of an output shaft having a diameter of at least 2 cm, which is therefore strong enough to transfer the forces required from the electric drive to the arm, particularly to obtain a torque of 100 Nm acting on the arm.

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the transverse cavity extends in a third direction that is perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and preferably also perpendicular to said radial direction.

[0022] In this embodiment, the transverse cavity and thus also the conical body extends perpendicular to the output shaft, and preferably also perpendicular to the radial direction, i.e. , the direction in which a force is exerted by the conical body onto the output shaft. This results in a transverse cavity for which the least amount of material needs to be removed in the mounting element when compared to a transverse cavity oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction and / or the radial direction. This embodiment is therefore economical with regard to excess material (i.e., material to be removed).

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the at least partially conical body, upon activation of the electric drive, rotates along with the output shaft.

[0024] As a result, no friction is generated between the conical body and the output shaft during rotation of the output shaft.

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the outer wall of the output shaft at least partially coincides with a hypothetical hyperboloid corresponding to the conical part of the at least partially conical body, wherein the at least partially conical body contacts the output shaft at the location of het partially coinciding part.

[0026] In this embodiment, a line contact is therefore created between the conical body and the output shaft. This is advantageous when compared to a point contact for avoiding excessive pressure that could damage the output shaft. It should be understood that, at the location of het coinciding part, the spline is partially interrupted.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the at least partially conical body eliminates a sliding clearance between the output shaft and the cavity in the mounting body.

[0028] Eliminating the sliding clearance is, as already described above, advantageous for avoiding an undesired rotation of the gate relative to the support.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Brief description of the drawings

[0033] The invention will now be further elucidated by means of the following description and the appended figures.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a gate actuator according to the present invention mounted to a closure system.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a gate actuator according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 shows a partially exploded view of the top of the gate actuator of figure 2.

[0037] Figure 4 shows a horizontal cross section through the top of the gate actuator of figure 2. For the sake of clarity of figure 4, hatching indicating a cut element has been omitted.

[0038] Figure 5 shows a vertical cross section through the top of the gate actuator of figure 2. For the sake of clarity of figure 5, hatching indicating a cut element has been omitted.

[0039] Embodiments of the invention

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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” is intended to also include “A” itself.

[0045] The invention generally relates to an electrically driven gate actuator 3 for actuating (i.e. , closing and opening) 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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 4), the elongated housing 10 is made up of a plastic frame 12 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. In the embodiment shown, is the casing 13 is attached to the frame 12 by means of ribs 20 sliding in corresponding dovetail grooves so that the casing 13 can be slid onto the frame in the longitudinal direction 11 . 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] The gate actuator 3 comprises an electric drive (not shown). This drive comprises at least an electric motor and may, if so required, also comprise a reducer for lowering the rpm and increasing the torque of the electric motor. An electric motor 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 with a reduction comprised between 1 :100 and 1 :1000, for example 1 :200 or 1 :400.

[0053] The electric drive, particularly the electric motor, comprises a motor body (not shown) having the means required for rotating an output shaft 17. This may be the output shaft of the electric motor or, if a reducer is present, that of the reducer. This output shaft 17 extends to the top 10a of the housing 10 as shown in figure 5. Upon activation of the electric motor, the output shaft is rotatable in two opposite rotational directions about the longitudinal direction 11 .

[0054] The electric drive is further provided with an electronic control (not shown) for controlling the gate actuator 3. In the state of the art, this electronic control is often incorporated in 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 is located inside the housing 10. The electronic control 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.

[0055] The present invention is generally directed to improving the coupling between the output shaft 17 and the arm 6. This coupling will now be described with reference to figures 3 to 5.

[0056] Figure 3 shows a partially exploded view of the top of the gate actuator 3. The upper seal 14 and the casing 13 have been omitted for the sake of clarity. The proximal end 6a of the arm 6 is provided with a mounting body 22. As shown in figure 5, the mounting body 22 is fixed to the proximal end 6a of the arm 6 by means of a bolt 23 (a fastener in general). 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.

[0057] Figure 3 further illustrates a mounting ring 30 from which the output shaft 17 protrudes. This mounting ring 30 is intended for mounting the gate actuator 3 to the support 1 by means of two fasteners 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 17. The electric drive is located below (seen in the longitudinal direction 11 ) the mounting ring 30 with the output shaft 17 (i.e., that of the electric motor or of the reducer, if present) extending through the mounting ring 30. Placing the mounting ring 30 around the output shaft 17 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 17 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.

[0058] As shown in figure 3, the output shaft 17 is provided with a spline 29 at its outer wall, wherein the spline ridges extend in the longitudinal direction 11. In the embodiment shown, the output shaft 17 is a serrated shaft having a serrated spline 29, although other splines are possible, e.g., a square or rectangular shaft. The output shaft 17 is inserted, as shown in figure 5, into a cavity 28 at the bottom of the mounting body 22. This cavity 28 has a shape corresponding to the spline 29 on the output shaft 17. A rotation of the output shaft 17 thus results in a rotation of the arm 6.

[0059] According to the present invention, the mounting body 22 is further provided with a transverse cavity 35 in which an at least partially conical body 36 is placed. In the embodiment shown, as can best be seen in figure 4, the transverse cavity 35 is formed by a through opening extending throughout the entire mounting body 22. This transverse cavity 35 extends in a tangential direction 40 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 11 . A radial direction 41 is also defined as a direction both perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 11 and perpendicular to the tangential direction 40. The tangential direction 40 and the radial direction 41 determine a plane that, in normal use, substantially coincides with a horizontal plane.

[0060] The at least partially conical body 36 comprises a head 37, a conical part 38 and a free end 39. In the embodiment shown, the head 37 is provided with an external thread (the latter being omitted in the cross section of figure 4) that fits into a corresponding thread within the transverse cavity 35 for mounting the conical body 36 in the transverse cavity 35. Due to the cooperating thread, a rotation of the conical body about its longitudinal axis results in a translation of the conical part 38 in the tangential direction 40. For this purpose, it is therefore advantageous for the conical part to be rotationally symmetrical relative to its own longitudinal direction (which coincides with the tangential direction).

[0061] The conical part 38 has a decreasing diameter and directly contacts the outer wall of the output shaft 17. Inserting the conical body into the transverse cavity 35 causes the conical part 38 to contact the outer wall of the output shaft 17 and to exert a force on the latter in the radial direction 41 . Inserting the conical body 36 to a sufficient depth in the transverse cavity 35 (e.g., screwing the conical body 36 into the cavity 35) causes the output shaft 17, particularly its spline 29, to be urged in the radial direction 41 against the cavity 28 in the mounting body 22 so as to so as to eliminate any tolerances due to manufacture and / or any sliding clearances.

[0062] In the embodiment shown, for this purpose, the outer wall of the output shaft 17 is provided with a hyperboloid section 45 for obtaining a line contact between the conical part 38 and the output shaft 17.

[0063] In the embodiment shown, an additional bore of the conical body 36 is further provided. This securing element comprises a bolt 47 (a fastener in general) screwed into a cavity 44 at the free end 39 of the conical body 36. The head of the bolt 47 abuts against an internal collar 48 within the transverse cavity 35. If so desired, this securing element may also take over the function of the thread 37 entirely. The bolt 47 could also be replaced by a nut engaging an outer thread on the free end 39 of the conical body 36. For this purpose, however, the free end 39 needs to be sufficiently thin so as to fit through the internal collar 48.

[0064] 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), said housing being configured to be connected to the support;- an electric drive within the housing, said electric drive having an output shaft (17) that is rotatable upon activation of the electric drive; and- an arm (6) extending between a proximal end (6a) and a distal end (6b) and configured for actuating the gate upon rotation of the output shaft, wherein the proximal end is coupled to the output shaft and wherein the distal end is configured to be connected to the gate or the hinge, characterized in that the output shaft is provided at its outer wall with a spline (29) extending in said longitudinal direction and the arm is provided at its proximal end with a mounting body (22), having a cavity (28) therein that corresponds to the spline and faces the elongated housing, wherein the output shaft extends at least partially into the cavity, and in that the mounting element is provided with a transverse cavity (35) in which an at least partially conical body (36) is arranged that urges the output shaft against said cavity in a radial direction (41 ) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

2. The gate actuator according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least the conical part of the at least partially conical body is rotationally symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis of the at least partially conical body.

3. The gate actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least partially conical body is rotationally symmetrical relative to its longitudinal axis.

4. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the transverse cavity is formed by a through opening through the mounting element, which transverse cavity is provided with an internal collar (48).

5. The gate actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least partially conical body comprises a head (37), an elongated body (38) and a free end (39), said free end being provided with a thread engaged by a fastener, said fastener (47) at least partially abutting against the internal collar in order to pull the at least partially conical body toward the internal collar.

6. The gate actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that the free end is provided with a cavity (44) in which said thread is arranged internally, and wherein said fastener is a bolt with its head abutting against the internal collar.

7. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the transverse cavity is provided with a thread engaged by the at least partially conical body.

8. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the spline on the output shaft is serrated.

9. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the output shaft has a hypothetical center line extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the transverse cavity is surrounded by a smallest hypothetical cylinder that does not intersect with said hypothetical center line, wherein, particularly, a shortest distance between said smallest hypothetical cylinder and said hypothetical centerline is at least 1 cm.

10. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the transverse cavity extends in a third direction (40) that is perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and preferably also perpendicular to said radial direction.

11. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the at least partially conical body, upon activation of the electric drive, rotates along with the output shaft.

12. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the outer wall of the output shaft at least partially coincides with a hypothetical hyperboloid corresponding to the conical part of the at least partially conical body, wherein the at least partially conical body contacts the output shaft at the location of the partially coinciding part (45).

13. The gate actuator according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the at least partially conical body eliminates a sliding clearance between the output shaft and the cavity in the mounting body.

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.

Images