Device for allowing the opening of a door

Abstract

Proposed is a device for allowing the opening of a door, the device comprising: a toothed rack (4) which is mounted so as to be movable from an initial position, in which it (4) does not act on the latch (1), into an end position, in which it (4) acts on the latch (1) in order to hold said latch in a rest position in which the latch (1) does not prevent the opening of the door, and vice versa; a support element (5) by means of which the toothed rack (4) is movably mounted; a fastening element (6) to which (6) the support element (5) is fastened; a gear (7) for transmitting and imparting to the toothed rack (4) a driving force capable of moving said toothed rack from the initial position thereof into the end position thereof, and for transmitting and imparting to the toothed rack (4) a return force capable of moving said toothed rack from the end position thereof back into the initial position thereof; drive means for generating the driving force and the return force; and control means for controlling and monitoring the movement of the toothed rack (4). The support element (5) has a slot (5a) in which the toothed rack (4) is arranged. The slot (5a) is also provided with a connection opening through which the gear (7) extends such that the toothed rack (4) is coupled to the gear (7) and the teeth of the toothed rack (4) and the teeth of the gear (7) intermesh, wherein the rotation of the gear (7) in a first direction of rotation causes the movement of the toothed rack (4) from the initial position thereof into the end position thereof, and the rotation of the gear (7) in a second direction of rotation, which is opposite the first direction of rotation, causes the movement of the toothed rack (4) from the end position thereof into the initial position thereof.

Description

[0001] DEVICE TO ALLOW THE OPENING OF A DOOR

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The invention relates to a device for enabling the opening of a door, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] The latch is, as is well known, the wedge-shaped part of a door lock which, when in one of its working positions, in contact with the door frame, prevents the door from opening. When in one of its rest positions, in which it is not in contact with the door frame, it does not prevent the door from opening. When the latch is in its working position, one end is usually located in a cavity in the door frame. Conversely, when the latch is in its rest position, its end is not located in this cavity.

[0005] To allow the opening of a door held closed by the latch of the door lock, the lock is typically provided with a door handle or a ball knob. By pushing the door handle down or turning the ball knob, the latch is moved to a rest position by known, dedicated mechanisms that are part of the lock and located within the lock case. Such a displacement causes the end of the latch to emerge from the cavity, allowing the door to be opened.

[0006] There are also more complex locks than those mentioned above, such as electronic locks, in which the internal mechanisms of the lock that move the latch to the rest position are such that, in addition to or as an alternative to the door handle or ball knob, they can also be operated remotely by sending a specially designed electronic signal.

[0007] From what has been explained, it follows that the door cannot be opened if the door handle or the ball knob or the known internal mechanisms provided for this purpose, which move the latch from its working position to its rest position, are broken or cannot be operated.

[0008] State of the art

[0009] In order to increase security and to ensure the opening of the door in any possible situation, devices have been developed that allow the latch to be moved to the rest position without having to use the door handle or the ball knob of the lock or having to operate the known internal mechanisms of the lock specifically designed for this purpose.

[0010] Known devices of this type are disclosed in the documents US 2003 / 214384 A1, US 5 911 460 A, US 4 679 834 A and EP 2 099 990 B1.

[0011] In the case of the device disclosed by the above-mentioned document US 2003 / 214384 A1, which can be considered as the closest prior art and therefore discloses the features indicated in the preamble of claim 1, it is now possible, thanks to the rack provided in this known device and by acting directly on the latch, to displace the latch until the latter is in its rest position, i.e. until the end of the latch is out of the cavity of the door frame and no longer prevents the door from opening. The thrust that displaces the latch is applied to it from outside the lock and not from inside the lock. The device is in fact arranged inside the same cavity in the frame in which the end of the latch is inserted, allowing the door to be opened in a manner completely independent of the lock and its operability.

[0012] This known device, however, has a certain structural complexity due to the fact that it is designed for a particular type of trap, namely a two-part trap. As a result, the thrust that the device exerts on the trap is generated by means of a two-part sliding element, each of these two parts being provided with a rack into which the gear meshes. The rotation of the gear moves the two parts of the sliding element, and the sliding element and the gear are mutually designed in such a way that the two parts of the sliding element move along the same direction but in opposite directions because they act at different times and on different parts of the trap.

[0013] The use of this known device therefore does not seem appropriate if the trap on which the device must act is of a traditional type, ie it is not in two parts.

[0014] Description of the invention

[0015] The object underlying the invention is therefore to further develop a device of the type mentioned in the preamble of patent claim 1 and to provide a device which is structurally simpler, is compact in terms of dimensions and shape and is able to push the latch into its rest position by acting from outside the lock.

[0016] According to the invention, this object is achieved if a device for enabling the opening of a door, which has the features of the preamble of patent claim 1, additionally also has the features specified in the characterising part of patent claim 1.

[0017] Thanks to the fact that the support element is provided with a slot in which the rack is located, the sliding element can be manufactured as a single piece, consisting only of the rack, which is a simple and cost-effective component. Furthermore, the positioning within the slot is protected from the outside and therefore secure. Thanks to the uniform and symmetrical support with which the slot acts on the rack, the precise movements of the rack are ensured.

[0018] The arrangement of the rack in the slot should not be considered as a simple choice of design because such an arrangement causes a technical problem that does not exist in the known art and is solved only in the case of the present invention.

[0019] The rack located in the slot is in fact surrounded by the slot on all sides, so that if no changes are made, it would not be possible to transmit and apply to and on the rack the driving force and the return force generated by the driving means and which move the rack from one position to another.

[0020] In order to transmit and apply a driving force to and onto the rack that is capable of moving it from its starting position to its end position, and in order to transmit and apply a return force to and onto the rack that is capable of moving it from its end position back to its starting position, the invention provides that the slot is provided with a connecting opening through which the gear can extend such that the rack is coupled to the gear. In this way, the problem is solved and it is possible to bring the rack and the gear into direct contact with one another, which also means that the dimensions of the device can be as small as possible, so that it is visually compact and suitable for placement in a small cavity in the door frame.Since the teeth of the rack and the teeth of the gear mesh with each other, the revolutions of the gear in the two possible directions of rotation cause corresponding displacements of the rack in the two possible directions of travel along the direction of movement.

[0021] Furthermore, if the support element is provided with a cavity in which the gear is arranged and if this cavity, together with the slot, is provided with said connecting opening, a moving component such as the gear is covered, which increases the safety of the device.

[0022] The support element is located in the cavity of the door frame, into which the end of the latch is inserted, and is attached to a fastener, which in turn is attached to the door frame and covers the open side of the cavity of the door frame. The attachment of the fastener to the door frame and the attachment of the support element to the fastener ensure that the support element has the strength to withstand the loads generated when the latch is pushed through the rack.

[0023] In general, it can be provided that the longitudinal axis of the slot of the support element is parallel to the direction of movement of the latch, but it is better if this longitudinal axis coincides with the above-mentioned direction of movement, because in such a case the latch is displaceable along this direction of movement and both the slot and the rack can be designed symmetrically with respect to their longitudinal axis.

[0024] The driving force and the return force transmitted and applied by the gear to and from the rack are generated by drive means comprising a gear motor, in particular an epicyclic gear motor, which ensures the necessary rotational precision. The gear is mounted on the output shaft of the epicyclic gear motor. The driving force is generated by the rotation of the output shaft in a first direction, and the return force is generated by the rotation of the output shaft in a second direction opposite to the first.

[0025] The movement of the rack from its initial position to its final position and the movement back from its final position to its initial position are controlled and monitored by control means comprising an electronic control circuit board attached to the support member which controls the entire operation of the device.

[0026] Two embodiments of the control means are provided. In the first, the control means also include position sensors; in the second, the control means also include a current sensor and end stops. Both the position sensors and the current sensor and the end stops serve to detect the moment at which the rack is in its end position or its initial position, so that the electronic control board can deactivate the gear motor at this moment.

[0027] The device also includes a protective container located within the cavity of the door frame and open on the side facing the open side of the cavity, allowing the end of the latch to penetrate the protective container. All components of the device, except for the fastener, are housed within the protective container to protect them.

[0028] Short description of the drawings

[0029] Additional advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the device according to the invention for opening a door, which are explained purely by way of example and not in a limiting manner with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the various figures are shown at different scales for illustrative reasons and schematically show: Fig. 1 is a very schematic and incomplete side view of the area of ​​a door in which the door lock and the device according to the invention associated with the lock are arranged; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the door lock of Fig. 1 and the device according to the invention associated with it, in a situation in which it is not active, but which is optimal for viewing the components of the door lock and the device; Fig. 3 is a view of Fig.2 is a perspective view similar to that of Fig. 1, but in which the device is shown in an exploded view; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along section line S1-S1 of Fig. 1 in the case of a first embodiment of the device and in the case where the lock latch is in the working position in which it prevents the door from opening; Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but in the case where the device has been actuated and the lock latch is in the rest position in which it does not prevent the door from opening; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along section line S1-S1 of Fig. 1 in the case of a second embodiment of the device and in the case where the lock latch is in the working position in which it prevents the door from opening; Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but in the case where the device has been actuated and the lock latch is in the rest position in which it does not prevent the door from opening.

[0030] Best way to carry out the invention

[0031] In the figures, a device is shown to allow the opening of a door which is kept closed by the latch 1 of the lock 2 of the door.

[0032] The latch 1 is movable along a direction of movement AA, which is visible, for example, in Fig. 3 and is determined by the lock 2, from any of its working positions, in which one end 1a of the latch 1, no matter how deep, is located in a cavity 3a of the door frame 3 and thereby prevents the door from opening, to any of its rest positions, in which the end 1a of the latch 1 is not located in the cavity 3a of the door frame 3 because it has been moved away from the door frame 3, no matter how far, and does not prevent the door from opening. In order to move the latch 1 into a working position, a spring is usually provided in the lock, the function of which is to move and hold the latch 1 in the working position in which the door cannot be opened.

[0033] The device comprises a rack 4 which, as shown in Fig. 1, is arranged in the cavity 3a of the frame 3 of the door and is mounted to move from an initial position in which it does not act on the latch 1 to an end position in which it acts on the latch 1 to keep it in the rest position, and vice versa.

[0034] The initial position of the rack 4 is visible in Figs. 4 and 6 and the final position of the rack 4 is visible in Figs. 5 and 7. In these figures, a working position of the latch 1 (Figs. 4 and 6) and a rest position of the latch 1 (Figs. 5 and 7) are also visible.

[0035] Furthermore, as will be explained below, the rack 4 is not the only component of the device arranged in the cavity 3a of the frame 3 of the door, because all the components of the device, with the exception of one of them, are arranged in this cavity 3a.

[0036] As can be seen from comparing Figs. 4 and 5 or from comparing Figs. 6 and 7, the rack 4, during its continuous movement from its initial position to its final position, continuously pushes the latch 1 from a working position to a rest position. To make this possible, the device also comprises a support element 5, visible, for example, in Fig. 3, which is also arranged in the cavity 3a of the door frame 3 and is provided with a slot 5a in which the rack 4 is arranged. In this way, the rack 4 is mounted by means of the support element 5 so that it can move from its initial position to its final position and vice versa.

[0037] The support element 5 can conveniently consist of two parts which are then joined together to form the slot 5a. To hold the two parts of the support element 5 in position, two fixing screws are provided, visible in Fig. 3, by means of which the two parts of the support element 5 are fastened to a fixing element 6, which is also part of the device. The fixing element 6 is in turn fixed to the frame 3 of the door by means of three fixing screws, visible in Fig. 2, and it covers the open side of the cavity 3a of the door frame, see Fig. 1. The fixing element 6 has specially provided through holes which allow the passage of the latch 1 and the bolt of the lock 2, see Fig.3, which also shows a further fastening element, which, however, does not belong to the device, is fastened to the door leaf and covers the open side of the cavity of the door leaf in which the lock 2 is arranged. The further fastening element also has specially provided through openings that allow the passage of the latch 1 and the bolt of the lock 2. In Fig. 3, the hole with a square cross-section into which the square pin of the door handle or ball knob is inserted, and the keyhole of the lock 2 into which the key is inserted are also visible.

[0038] For the device to function, it is sufficient that the longitudinal axis of the slot 5a of the support element 5 is parallel to the direction of movement AA, but it is preferable that the longitudinal axis of the slot 5a of the support element 5 coincides with the direction of movement AA of the latch 1, as shown in Fig. 3, because in this way the rack 4 is also displaced along the direction of movement AA and the thrust that the rack 4 applies to the latch 1 is applied along this direction of movement AA.

[0039] The device also includes a gearwheel 7 and drive means. The gearwheel 7 (see, for example, Figures 4 and 5 or Figures 6 and 7) serves to transmit and apply a driving force to and onto the rack 4, which is capable of moving it from its starting position to its end position, and to transmit and apply a returning force to and onto the rack 4, which is capable of moving it from its end position back to its starting position. The drive means, on the other hand, serve to generate the driving force and the returning force that are transmitted and applied by the gearwheel 7.

[0040] The slot 5a is provided with a connecting opening through which the gear 7 extends such that the rack 4 is coupled to the gear 7 and the teeth of the rack 4 and the teeth of the gear 7 mesh with each other. Furthermore, see, for example, Fig. 3, the support element 5 is provided with a cavity in which the gear 7 is arranged, and this cavity, together with the slot 5a, is provided with the above-mentioned connecting opening.

[0041] In this way, the rotation of the gear 7 in a first direction causes the displacement of the rack 4 from its initial position to its final position, and the rotation of the gear 7 in a second direction opposite to the first causes the reverse displacement of the rack 4 from its final position to its initial position. The driving force and the return force transmitted and applied by the transmission means, i.e., by the gear 7, are therefore applied to the rack 4, which, in order to move from its initial position to its final position and vice versa, moves along the direction of movement AA.

[0042] With reference to the aforementioned drive means, these comprise a gear motor 8, which is mounted on the support element 5 and is provided with an output shaft 8a that penetrates the cavity of the support element 5, in which the gear 7 is arranged, so that the gear 7 can be mounted on the output shaft 8a. The rotation of the output shaft 8a in a first direction generates the driving force, and the rotation of the output shaft 8a in a second direction opposite to the first generates the return force. The gear motor 8 is an epicyclic gear motor.

[0043] The device also comprises control means for controlling and monitoring the displacement of the rack 4 from its initial position to its final position and the return movement of the rack 4 from its final position to its initial position.

[0044] Two embodiments of the control means are provided. According to the first, the control means comprise an electronic control circuit board 9 and position sensors 10. The electronic control circuit board 9 is attached to the support element 5, e.g., glued or inserted into a specially provided guide, and it controls the entire operation of the device. It 9 therefore controls both the rotation of the output shaft 8a in a first direction of rotation to generate the driving force, and the rotation of the output shaft 8a in a direction opposite to the second direction of rotation to generate the return force.

[0045] Regarding the position sensors 10, these monitor the movements of the rack 4 and serve to ensure that the rack 4 has actually moved to its end position or that it has actually returned to its initial position. For this purpose, each position sensor 10 detects, in the area it monitors, the possible presence of a projection 4a provided on the rack 4 (see Figs. 3-5), and as soon as this occurs, it sends a confirmation signal to the electronic control board 9. Two position sensors 10 are provided, which are conveniently arranged on the control board 9. The following occurs.

[0046] As soon as the projection 4a is detected by the position sensor 10 which is the last one which the rack 4 encounters during its movements, that is to say the position sensor 10 which is closer to the fastening element 6 in the case of displacement towards the end position and the position sensor 10 which is further away from the fastening element 6 in the case of displacement towards the initial position, see Fig. 3, the electronic control board 9, which has received the confirmation signal sent by this position sensor 10, immediately switches off the gear motor 8, thereby interrupting the generation of the driving force or the return force.

[0047] In the case of the second embodiment, the control means comprise an electronic control circuit board 9, a current sensor 11, and at least two end stops 12. In this embodiment too, the electronic control circuit board 9 is attached to the support element 5 and controls the entire operation of the device. The current sensor 11 is arranged on the electronic control circuit board 9 and measures the current drawn by the gear motor 8 while the latter is in operation, i.e., while it generates the driving force or the return force applied by the gear wheel 7 to the rack 4. As soon as it detects a sudden increase in this current, it sends a warning signal 11 to the electronic control circuit board 9.Regarding the two end stops 1 2, one of them is arranged at the end of the path that the rack 4 travels to reach its end position and the other is arranged at the end of the path that the rack 4 travels to reach its initial position and they can be formed from parts of the support element 5, see Figs. 6 and 7. The following happens.

[0048] As soon as the projection 4a of the rack 4 hits one of the end stops 12 upon reaching the end position or the starting position of the rack 4, the rack 4 can no longer continue its movement, and there is a sudden increase in the current drawn by the gear motor 8 because the end stop 12 acts against the driving force or the return force. As soon as the current sensor 11 detects such an increase in current, the electronic control circuit board 9, having received the warning signal sent by the current sensor 11, immediately switches off the gear motor 8, thereby interrupting the generation of the driving force or the return force.

[0049] In the case of both embodiments of the device described above, the device also includes a control sensor 13, which monitors the movement of the latch 1 towards its working position and serves to ensure that the latch 1 has actually moved into its working position, in which its end 1a is located in the cavity 3a of the door frame 3 and the door cannot be opened. The task of this control sensor 13 is therefore to further detect, in addition to what happens with the position sensors 10 or with the current sensor 11 and the end stops 12, that the door has not been opened and cannot be opened. As soon as, as a result of the movement of the rack 4 from its end position to its initial position, the control sensor 13 detects the presence of the latch 1 in the area it monitors, it sends a control signal to the electronic control board 9.This 9, having received the control signal sent by the control sensor 13, immediately switches off the gear motor 8, thereby interrupting the generation of the return force.

[0050] The electronic control board 9 is also electronically connected to an external control system, by means of which it is possible to remotely open the door. The electronic control board 9 receives a signal from this external system to open the door. Upon receipt of this signal, the electronic control board 9 activates the gear motor 8 so that it generates the aforementioned driving force and moves the rack 4 to its end position. Then, after a predetermined pause, the electronic control board 9 activates the gear motor 8 so that it generates the aforementioned return force and moves the rack 4 back to its initial position.

[0051] The device works as follows.

[0052] The initial situation is one in which the door cannot be opened because the end of the latch 1 is located in the cavity 3a. The person who wishes to open the door activates the external control system, which can be, for example, a simple push button, a fingerprint reader, an ID card reader, or something similar, and the external control system therefore sends the signal to open the door to the electronic control board 9. Upon receiving this signal, the electronic control board 9 activates the gear motor 8 so that the latter generates the driving force that moves the rack 4 to its end position, so that the end 1a of the latch 1 is no longer located in the cavity 3a and the door can be opened. Note that the device according to the invention does not directly open the door, i.e.it does not act on the door leaf, but simply allows the door to be opened by simply pushing or pulling, i.e. without the need to act on the handle or the ball knob or on any other component of the door or lock. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the electronic control board 9 activates the gearmotor 8 so that the latter generates the return force which moves the rack 4 back to its initial position. In this situation, if the door was opened during the pause, the rack 4 does not prevent the end 1a of the latch 1 from returning to the cavity 3a when the door is subsequently closed. If, on the other hand, the door was not opened during the pause, the rack 4 allows the end 1a of the latch 1 to return to the cavity 3a, thus restoring the initial situation in which the door cannot be opened.

[0053] Another component of the device is a protective container 14, visible, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3, which is fastened to the fastening element 6, is arranged within the cavity 3a of the door frame 3, and is open on the side facing the open side of the cavity 3a. The fastening element 6, which covers the open side of the cavity 3a of the door frame 3, therefore also covers the open side of the protective container 14, as can be seen, for example, from Fig. 3. All components of the device, with the exception of the fastening element 6, which serves as a closure for the protective container 14, are arranged within the protective container 14 so as to be protected by it.In the case of the first embodiment, the rack 4, the support element 5, the gearwheel 7, the geared motor 8, the electronic control circuit board 9, the position sensors 10 and the control sensor 13 are arranged within the protective container 14 and in the case of the second embodiment of the device, the rack 4, the support element 5, the gearwheel 7, the geared motor 8, the electronic control circuit board 9, the current sensor 11, the end stops 12 and the control sensor 13 are arranged within the protective container 14.

[0054] In the figures, the case has been shown in which the door is one of those doors which, in addition to the lock 2, also comprise additional locking elements of the door, such as the armored doors or the fireproof doors in which anchoring bars 15 are provided.

[0055] These anchoring rods 15, which are only indicated in the figures, are movable from a first position in which their ends are free, to a second position in which their ends, however, penetrate into specially provided recesses provided in the ceiling and floor, which are not shown in the figures. By means of such anchoring rods 15, it is possible, in the case of armored doors, to increase the resistance to burglary or, in the case of fire doors, to combat any deformation of the door leaf caused by heat, which would compromise the fire resistance of the fire doors.

[0056] By means of other known components of the lock 2, it is possible to arrange the device so that the displacement of the latch 1 from the working position to the rest position simultaneously causes the displacement of the anchoring rods 15 from their second position, in which their ends penetrate the recesses specifically provided in the ceiling and floor, to their first position, in which their ends are free. Thanks to the invention, the opening of such armored or fireproof doors is thus made possible by acting directly from the outside on the latch 1 of the locks 2 of the doors.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Device for allowing the opening of a door held closed by the latch (1) of the lock (2) of the door, the latch (1) being movable along a direction of movement (AA) from any of its working positions, in which one end (1a) of the latch (1) is located in a cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and prevents the opening of the door, to any of its rest positions, in which the end (1a) of the latch (1) is not located in the cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and does not prevent the opening of the door, comprising: . a rack (4) arranged in the cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and movable from an initial position in which it (4) does not act on the latch (1) to an end position in which it (4) acts on the latch (1) to hold it in the rest position, and vice versa; wherein the rack (4), during its continuous movement from its initial position to its end position, continuously pushes the latch (1) from an operating position to a rest position; . a support element (5) arranged in the cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and by means of which the rack (4) is mounted so as to be movable from its initial position to its final position and vice versa; . a fastening element (6) which is fastened to the frame (3) of the door and covers the open side of the cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and to which (6) the support element (5) is fastened; . a gear (7) for transmitting and applying to and on the rack (4) a driving force capable of moving it from its initial position to its final position and for transmitting and applying to and on the rack (4) a return force capable of moving it from its final position back to its initial position; . Drive means to generate the driving force and the return force which are transmitted from the gear (7) to and onto the rack (4) and be applied; and . Control means for controlling and monitoring the movement of the rack (4) from its initial position to its final position and the return movement of the rack (4) from its final position to its initial position, characterized in that the support element (5) is provided with a slot (5a) in which the rack (4) is arranged, and in that the slot (5a) is provided with a connecting opening through which the gear (7) extends such that the rack (4) is coupled to the gear (7) and the teeth of the rack (4) and the teeth of the gear (7) engage with one another; wherein the rotation of the gear (7) in a first direction of rotation causes the displacement of the rack (4) from its initial position to its final position and the rotation of the gear (7) in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first causes the displacement of the rack (4) from its final position to its initial position.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support element (5) is provided with a cavity in which the gear (7) is arranged and which, together with the slot (5a), is provided with the above-mentioned connecting opening through which the gear (7) extends in order to come into contact with the rack (4).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the longitudinal axis of the slot (5a) coincides with the direction of movement (AA) of the trap (1).

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the drive means comprise a geared motor (8) which is mounted on the support element (5) and is provided with an output shaft (8a) which (8a) penetrates into the cavity of the support element (5) and on which (8a) the gear wheel (7) is mounted, wherein the rotation of the output shaft (8a) in a first direction of rotation generates the above-mentioned driving force and the rotation of the output shaft (8a) in a second direction opposite to the first Direction of rotation generates the above-mentioned return force.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the geared motor (8) is an epicyclic geared motor.

6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control means comprise: . an electronic control circuit board (9) which is attached to the support element (5) and controls the entire operation of the device, and . Position sensors (10) monitoring the movement of the rack (4), wherein, during the movements of the rack (4) from its initial position to its final position and vice versa, each position sensor (10) detects, in the area monitored by it, the presence of a projection (4a) provided on the rack (4) and sends a confirmation signal to the electronic control board (9).

7. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control means comprise: . an electronic control circuit board (9) attached to the support element (5) and controlling the entire operation of the device; . a current sensor (11) which measures the current drawn by the geared motor (8) and sends a warning signal to the electronic control board (9) the moment it detects a sudden increase in this current; and . at least two end stops (12), one of which (12) is arranged at the end of the path traveled by the rack (4) to reach its end position, and the other of which (12) is arranged at the end of the path traveled by the rack (4) to reach its initial position, wherein, at the moment the end position or the initial position of the rack (4) is reached, the projection (4a) of the rack (4) abuts against one or the other of the two end stops (12).

8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it also comprises a control sensor (13) which, as a result of the movement of the rack (4) from its initial position to its final position, detects the presence of the latch (1) in the area it observes and thereby sends a warning signal to the electronic control board (9).

9. Device according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the electronic control board (9) is electronically connected to an external control system from which it can receive a signal for opening the door, wherein upon receipt of this signal the electronic control board (9) switches on the gear motor (8) so that it generates the above-mentioned driving force and the rack (4) is moved to its end position and then, after a predetermined pause, switches on the gear motor (8) so that it generates the above-mentioned return force and the rack (4) is moved back to its initial position.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises a protective container (14) which is fastened to the fastening element (6), is arranged inside the cavity (3a) of the frame (3) of the door and is open on the side directed towards the open side of the cavity (3a), the open side of the protective container (14) being covered by the fastening element (6) and all components of the device, with the exception of the fastening element (6), being arranged inside the protective container (14).

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