Electric door strike

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric door strike comprising a box containing a latchbolt, a mechanism for locking the latchbolt, and an electrically powered mechanism for activating / deactivating the locking mechanism, wherein opening is caused by the exertion of pressure on the latchbolt from outside the door strike, the locking mechanism being in a deactivated position. The mechanism for activating / deactivating the locking mechanism comprises an electric motor and a kinetic mechanism for transforming the rotation of the motor into a linear movement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor.

Description

[0001] ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention relates to electric door opener systems, and more specifically to electric door openers with a locking / unlocking system.

[0004] An electric door opener is a locking device that can be operated via an electrical circuit. They are typically used to prevent the opening of a hinged element. Hinged elements or door components can include, for example, door or window leaves or panels, door or window frames, and so on. Door openers consist of a latch whose purpose is to retain a handle, usually located in a door lock. In door openers, the opening occurs due to external pressure on the door opener, which causes the latch to release when it is not locked. The pressure on the latch is usually transmitted from the handle itself; there is no mechanism in the door opener that actively moves the latch. Door openers also include a latch locking mechanism and a locking mechanism.

[0005] Depending on the resting state, i.e., the default position without power supply, the action of the electric door openers can be either to lock the swing elements when power is received, which is called in the state of the art as "fail safe" (while unlocked at rest) or to unlock when power is received, which is called "fail secure" (while locked at rest).

[0006] In a locked position, the latch, which is locked, gets in the way of the handle, so that the door or hinged element cannot be opened, but when the movement of the latch is allowed (unlocking), this in turn allows the latch to be pushed out of the way of the handle, thus allowing the door to be opened.

[0007] There are several known methods for locking a door opener latch. The use of a short and long bar mechanism is the most widespread in the prior art and is used in almost all electric door openers. Typically, the long bar directly locks the latch, while the short bar engages the long bar and, in turn, locks it in the latch's locked position.

[0008] The locking mechanism is typically activated / deactivated by a coil acting on the short bar. The coils are energized when powered and return to their resting position when power is cut. When this happens, the bars (short and long) return to their locked position by means of elastic elements located in the door opener.

[0009] Coils are widely used as actuators in door openers due to their small size and ease of operation. Only a simple power supply to the coil is required to lock or unlock the opener, thus allowing the door to open. In short, coil-based door openers require only two wires, which simultaneously power the coil and control the locking or unlocking position of the opener.

[0010] However, the coils also have clear drawbacks. One of these is their limited force capacity. Consequently, the door opener may fail to transition from the locked to the unlocked position in pre-loaded situations—that is, when the user is applying force to the door in an attempt to open it. In these circumstances, the door opener will not open until the user stops trying to open the door. Another drawback of the coils is that if they are continuously powered for extended periods, they can fail and become unusable. This problem is more pronounced with higher-power coils, so attempting to solve the pre-load issue with a more powerful coil inevitably leads to door opener malfunctions.Finally, the coils' power consumption is relatively high, because their consumption is at its maximum while they are being energized, that is, while the user gives the unlocking command, regardless of whether the door opener is already unlocked or not.

[0011] For all these reasons, the ability to replace coils with other types of actuators has always been an unmet need in the sector. However, this is not easy. In particular, one of the problems with known attempts to use other types of actuators in door openers (mechanical, hydraulic, motors, etc.) is that they require a considerably larger size, making it impractical to replace existing coil-driven door openers with actuators of a different type.

[0012] It is an objective of the present invention to disclose an electric door opener that does not present the problems of the coils referred to above, but that can have reduced dimensions that allow it, if necessary, to be used to replace existing coil-operated door openers.

[0013] More specifically, the present invention discloses an electric door opener comprising a housing containing a latch, a latch locking mechanism, and an electrically powered activation / deactivation mechanism for the locking mechanism. Opening is achieved by applying pressure to the latch from outside the door opener, with the locking mechanism in the deactivated state. The activation / deactivation mechanism for the locking mechanism comprises an electric motor and a kinematic mechanism for converting the motor's rotation into linear motion, preferably in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the motor.

[0014] The present invention solves the aforementioned problem by combining a motor with a kinematic mechanism that transforms the motor's rotation into linear motion, allowing the motor to drive mechanisms previously operated by coils. Preferably, the linear motion is in the direction of the motor's longitudinal axis, or in a direction parallel to it. This saves space, and the motor can physically replace the coils in existing door openers, whose actuator performs linear motion in the direction of the coil's longitudinal axis. Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to design door openers with dimensions similar or identical to current coil-operated door openers.

[0015] The use of a motor as an actuator offers the advantage of being able to exert greater force. Therefore, the door opener of the present invention has a higher opening capacity under preloads than known door openers. Additionally, the electrical consumption of the door opener of the present invention is lower, since the motor only consumes power while it is moving, regardless of whether it is energized or not.

[0016] The latch locking mechanism of the door opener of the present invention is preferably a long bar / short bar mechanism as previously described. However, the present invention can be applied to any type of latch locking mechanism, such as knee lever mechanisms.

[0017] Preferably, the activation mechanism of the locking / unlocking mechanism comprises a moving element driven by the kinematic mechanism and which comes into contact with the latch locking mechanism to transmit the motor action to the latch locking mechanism.

[0018] Preferably, the kinematic mechanism comprises a part connected to and fixed to the motor shaft.

[0019] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the kinematic mechanism (and preferably, the aforementioned part) comprises a circularly developed inclined surface connected to and moving with the motor shaft. This type of surface allows the circular motion of the motor to be transformed into linear motion in a very space-efficient manner, for example, by combining it with a moving element equipped with guides that allow its linear movement, such that the moving element rests on the inclined surface. As the motor rotates, the inclined surface also rotates, causing the moving element to simultaneously travel along the inclined surface and slide along the guides. In this way, a linear motion is obtained that can be used to actuate the latch locking mechanism.

[0020] Preferably, the inclined surface is located adjacent to two resting surfaces. The arrangement of resting sections, preferably flat, in the initial and final positions ensures that the motor does not over-press in the locked / unlocked positions, which could lead to stresses that could cause malfunctions and / or breakage. The resting surfaces correspond, respectively, to the initial and final positions of the travel of the moving element that comes into contact with the latch locking mechanism. The resting surfaces are preferably perpendicular to the motor's axis of rotation. However, the resting surfaces may have a slight inclination with respect to the plane perpendicular to the motor's axis of rotation (transverse plane), preferably less than 5°. eThe inclined surface preferably has a gradual slope between the resting surface corresponding to the initial position and the resting surface corresponding to the final position. More preferably, the angle of inclination of the inclined surface with respect to both resting surfaces is constant. However, since the intermediate positions of the inclined surface do not correspond to any locking or unlocking position of the device, but rather to a transition between a locked and an unlocked position, a non-gradual slope is also possible, including sections of variable or negative slope, or even a slope that reaches a height greater than that of the resting surface corresponding to the final position.The term “height” should be understood as the dimension taking as a reference direction an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the motor, or to the axis of rotation of the kinematic mechanism, and considering that the height or dimension of the resting surface corresponding to the initial position or start of the stroke of the mechanism is less than that of the resting surface corresponding to the final position or end of the stroke of the mechanism.

[0021] The transition between the resting surface corresponding to the final position and the resting surface corresponding to the initial position on the opposite side from the inclined surface can be a radial surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the kinematic mechanism (abrupt transition). It can also be a second inclined surface (smooth transition).

[0022] Preferably, when the moving element rests on one of the respective resting surfaces, the door opener is in the unlocked position, and when the moving element rests on the other resting surface, the door opener is in the locked position. When the moving element rests on the inclined surface, it is in transition between the locked and unlocked positions and / or vice versa. Preferably, the kinematic mechanism and / or the moving element of the present invention actuates a short bar of a latch locking mechanism.

[0023] Preferably, the electric door opener has a sensor system to detect its status (locked / unlocked). The aim is for a control device to be able to determine the opener's status. The sensor system may include, for example, a position sensor system that detects when the motor is in an initial state and when a state change to a final state is complete. The initial state may be closed or unactuated, while the final state may be open or actuated, or vice versa. Such a sensor system may comprise multiple individual sensors. Alternatively, the sensor system may comprise a single sensor to detect the final state, open or actuated, with the initial state being determined through programming.

[0024] For better understanding, drawings of embodiments of the present invention are attached as an explanatory but not limiting example.

[0025] Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of a first embodiment of an electric door opener according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 shows a side view, with the box lid removed, so that the internal elements of the first embodiment can be observed.

[0027] Figure 3 shows another side view in which, in addition to the cover, the long bar has been removed, clearly revealing the activation / deactivation mechanism of the locking mechanism.

[0028] Figures 4 and 5 are detailed side views illustrating the operation of the door opener's locking mechanism.

[0029] Figure 6 is a side view of the mechanism of the example motor, kinematic mechanism and moving element shown in the previous figures.

[0030] Figure 7 is a side view showing only the motor and the kinematic mechanism.

[0031] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the kinematic mechanism of the first embodiment example.

[0032] Figure 9 shows a detailed perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the door opener that is the subject of the present invention.

[0033] In the figures, identical or equivalent elements have been identified with identical numerals.

[0034] Figures 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of an electric door opener according to the present invention.

[0035] Figure 1 shows a compact electric door opener 1. This figure shows the exterior of the door opener 1, the most visible part of a door opener installed on a door. A latch 3 and the housing 6 that covers the internal mechanism of the door opener 1 can be seen in this figure.

[0036] In Figure 2, one of the covers of housing 6 has been removed to better show the internal structure and the mechanism of the door opener 1. The latch 3 in the example can rotate around an axis (hidden in the figure). During its opening movement, latch 3 must overcome the resistance of a long bar 200. The long bar in the example rotates, at one of its ends, around an axis 112. Additionally, at an intermediate point along the long bar 200, a spring 300 acts, located, in this case, between housing 6 and the long bar 200. Its action tends to maintain contact between the long bar 200 and latch 3. In the locked position, the long bar 200 is held in place by the short bar 210, which has a recess 211 for this purpose. The shape of the recess 211 is designed to match that of the long bar 200 to ensure a more secure locking mechanism. The short bar 210 also rotates around an axis 212 at one of its ends.A spring 302 also acts on the short bar, tending to place it in its locked position. The long bar / short bar assembly constitutes the door opener's locking mechanism, as shown in Figure 2 in the locked position. One corner of the free end of the long bar 200 is locked by the corresponding recess 211 of the short bar 210, preventing the latch 3 from pushing the long bar 200 during its opening movement. The door opener is therefore locked. To unlock the door opener, it is necessary to rotate the short bar 210 to the left in the figure, against the action of the short bar's spring 302. To do this, the force of spring 302 and the preload force must be overcome.The preload force comes from the push on latch 3 exerted from the outside, which is transmitted from latch 3 to the long bar 200 and from there to the contact area between the long bar 200 and the short bar 210. The elements described so far coincide with electric door openers of a known type, which are normally operated by a coil.

[0037] Figures 3 to 8 show the activation mechanism of the locking mechanism, its operation and its parts.

[0038] The locking mechanism comprises a motor 220 and a kinematic device that transforms the circular motion of the motor 220 into a linear motion that drives the short bar 210 to the unlocked position. The kinematic device comprises a part 221 connected to and fixed to the shaft of the motor 220. As part 221 rotates with the motor shaft, it pushes a guided bar 230, which, in turn, pushes the short bar 210 to the unlocked position. The guided bar 230 is guided by a guide piece 108. An additional elastic element / spring 301 acts on the guided bar 230, ensuring its permanent contact with part 221. Figure 3 also shows a position sensor 240, whose function is to provide the door opener control device with information about the system's status or position so that the control device can instruct the motor to return to its initial position when the appropriate conditions arise.

[0039] Figures 4 and 5 show the system when motor 220 is actuated. When actuated, motor 220 rotates about its own axis. This rotation is transmitted to part 221. As part 221 rotates, the inclined circular surface 222 changes position, which in turn exerts a thrust on the guided bar 230. As shown in the figure, the inclined circular surface is located immediately adjacent to two circular resting surfaces, in this case parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of part 221. As shown in the figure, the guided bar 230, due to the arrangement of the kinematic mechanism that transforms the motor's rotation into linear motion, is able to press the short bar 210 against the same surface 213 where the short bar is pressed in a conventional coil-operated door opener.The guided bar 230, in turn, pushes the short bar 210 which comes out of its locked position of the long bar 200, which can now be pushed by the latch 3.

[0040] When the guided bar 230 reaches the position where it has released the lock between the short bar 210 and the long bar 200, the position sensor 240 informs the control device that the unlocked position has been reached. The control device, according to its integrated programming, will then command the motor to return to its initial position. When this occurs, the short bar 210 will return to its initial position thanks to the action of spring 302, and the guided bar 230 will do the same due to the action of spring 301. In principle, it would also be possible to cause the return of both elements with a single spring (for example, spring 300), but the arrangement of two springs is safer. The return to the initial position can be achieved by keeping the motor 220 rotating, which will cause part 221 to continue rotating in the same direction, or by reversing the action of motor 220, which will cause part 221 to rotate in the opposite direction.The energy required to turn the 220 motor can come from an external power source or from an internal energy storage (not shown).

[0041] Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the activation / deactivation mechanism of the locking mechanism in the example shown. This mechanism consists of the motor 220, part 221, and the guide bar 230. Part 221 in the example is generally cylindrical and is located in the motor head, fixed to its shaft through its central hole 223. Around the central hole, on its outer face—that is, on the base of the cylinder facing away from the motor—part 221 has a circularly developed inclined surface 222. In the example shown, this inclined surface 222 begins and ends at two resting sections, corresponding to the position of the guide bar 230 in the locked and unlocked positions. The resting sections in the example shown are flat. The term "flat" means that the points on this surface lie in the same plane, transverse to the motor shaft.The resting surfaces, however, could have a slight inclination with respect to the aforementioned transverse plane, preferably less than 5. e The inclined surface has a steeper incline than the resting surfaces. The two resting sections are immediately adjacent to the inclined surface. The arrangement of resting sections, preferably flat, in the end positions ensures that the motor does not over-pressurize in the locked / unlocked positions, which could lead to stresses that might cause malfunctions and / or breakage.

[0042] The rest sections correspond to the device in the locked / unlocked position, while the inclined section corresponds to the travel between these two positions. Thus, when the mechanism is in the locked / unlocked position, the guide bar 230 is located on one of the rest sections. As the guide bar 230 travels along the inclined section, the mechanism is transitioning from one locked / unlocked position to another. The inclined section, advantageously, rises continuously between the height of an initial rest section and the height of a final rest section. However, the incline can be variable, and even negative at some points. On the side opposite the connection to the inclined section, the final rest section is adjacent to the initial rest section.In the example, both the initial and final resting sections converge, on the side opposite the inclined surface, at a radial surface with respect to the axis of rotation of the part. However, a second inclined surface could be placed between the two resting sections.

[0043] As can be seen in the figures, box 6 in the example is a standard coil-operated door opener box of a known type. Thanks to the example's design, the coil could be replaced with a 220 motor and the corresponding kinematic mechanism without modifying the box or its dimensions. Adapting the kinematic mechanism and motor assembly to the box was easily accomplished using an existing coil-operated door opener box, as its dimensions are even smaller than those of a coil.

[0044] Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment in which the door opener sensor system comprises two microswitch-type sensors 240, 241. Each sensor 240, 241 indicates whether the actuator is in the end or start position, respectively. In contrast, the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 8 have only one microswitch-type sensor 240 to detect when the actuator is in the end position (and, therefore, in these embodiments, when the door opener is unlocked). With two sensors 240, 241, the system operates more stably and efficiently. Although the invention has been presented and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it is understood that these are not limiting to the invention, and therefore, many construction details or other aspects may vary and may become apparent to those skilled in the art after interpreting the subject matter disclosed in this description, claims, and drawings.In particular, in principle, all the features of each of the different embodiments and alternatives shown and / or suggested are combinable with each other. Thus, all variations and equivalents will be included within the scope of the present invention if they can be considered to fall within the broader scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An electric door opener comprising a housing containing a latch, a latch locking mechanism, and an electrically powered activation / deactivation mechanism for the locking mechanism, wherein opening occurs by pressure on the latch exerted from outside the door opener, the locking mechanism being in a deactivated state, characterized in that the activation / deactivation mechanism for the locking mechanism comprises an electric motor and a kinematic mechanism for transforming the rotation of the motor into a linear movement.

2. Door opener, according to the previous claim, characterized in that said linear movement is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the motor.

3. Door opener, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the kinematic mechanism comprises an inclined surface of circular development connected to the motor.

4. Door opener, according to the previous claim, characterized in that the inclined surface is located adjacent to two resting surfaces.

5. Door opener, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the resting surfaces have an inclination with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the motor of less than 5 e .

6. Door opener, according to the previous claim, characterized in that the resting surfaces are parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the motor.

7. Door opener, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the activation mechanism of the locking / unlocking mechanism comprises a moving element driven by the kinematic mechanism and which comes into contact with the latch locking mechanism to transmit the action of the motor to the latch locking mechanism.

8. Door opener, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the element The mobile element is equipped with guides that allow its linear movement, and because the mobile element rests on the inclined surface during the transition between a locked position of the door opener and an unlocked position of the door opener, or vice versa.

9. Door opener, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the movable element rests on a respective resting surface when the door opener is in the locked position, and on another respective resting surface when the door opener is in the unlocked position.

10. Door opener, according to any of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that the kinematic mechanism comprises a piece connected to and fixed to the motor shaft comprising the aforementioned inclined surface.

11. Door opener, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking mechanism is a long bar / short bar type mechanism.

12. Door opener, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the kinematic mechanism and / or the moving element of the present invention actuates a short bar of a latch locking mechanism.

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