Mode-switchable door closer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mode-switchable door closer that can be used in a normal mode in which, when a fluid flow is allowed, a door is automatically closed by maintaining the operation of a piston and a link interlocked therewith, and in a stop-and-go mode in which, when the fluid flow is blocked, the operation of the piston and the link interlocked therewith is stopped to maintain the opened state of the door, and, when the door is forcibly closed, the fluid flow is forcibly allowed so that the door is automatically closed. Therefore, the mode-switchable door closer can be switched between the normal mode and the stop-and-go mode, thereby enabling a user to set the closer to a desired mode and use the closer in the desired mode.

Description

Mode-switchable door closer

[0001] The present invention relates to a mode-switching door closer capable of a normal mode in which the door automatically closes while in an open state, and a stop-and-go mode in which the door maintains an open state and then automatically closes when the open state is released by pushing the door in a direction to close it forcibly.

[0002] A door closer is installed at the top of the hinged door so that the door can close slowly on its own, and a door stopper, which is a fixing device to keep the door in a stopped state, is installed on one side of the bottom.

[0003] For such hinged doors, a door closer and a door stopper must be installed at the top and bottom respectively. Not only is this aesthetically unpleasing, but it is also very cumbersome because the door stopper must be operated using the foot or hand.

[0004] Technology regarding a door closer that enables stopping and releasing the door itself without such inconvenience includes:

[0005] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0761658 (registered September 18, 2007, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 1') presents a "stopping type door closer."

[0006] Literature 1 describes a conventional door closer that transmits power by a rack and pinion gear, wherein a separate auxiliary piston is additionally installed between the piston and the spring, and the door can be switched to a stationary or general type by simply blocking or opening the flow path on the cylinder front chamber side by means of a function switching screw formed in the cylinder body, thereby performing a closing function like a conventional door closer when the door is opened below a certain angle, and maintaining the door open state without separate additional operation or equipment when the door is opened above a certain angle, and in particular, performing a function like a conventional door closer by operating a simple function switching screw.

[0007] As another technology, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1188042 (registered September 26, 2012, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 2') “Fireproof Door Closer” is disclosed,

[0008] Literature 2 describes a fire-resistant door closer configured to operate so that the door closes slowly like a conventional door closer when opened or closed at an angle below a certain angle, maintains the door open state without any additional operation or equipment when opened above a certain angle, and, in particular, automatically closes the door when a fire is detected at a temperature above a certain level.

[0009] Another technology disclosed is Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1758323 (registered July 10, 2017, hereinafter referred to as 'Document 3'), titled "Door closer equipped with a braking device."

[0010] Reference 3 describes a door closer comprising a cylinder attached to a hinged door, having a piston built inside and a pinion that meshes with the rack of the piston built inside; an operating arm connected to the pinion of the cylinder and rotated according to the opening angle of the door; a link connected to the operating arm; and a connecting bracket that connects and supports the link to the door frame. In this door closer, a ratchet wheel is provided at the bottom of the connecting part of the operating arm connected to the pinion, and a braking device is provided on the upper surface of the cylinder to which the operating arm is connected, which controls or releases the rotation of the ratchet wheel together with the operating arm that operates according to the opening of the door. This allows the door to have a function of stopping at the degree of opening, thereby eliminating the need for a fixing device such as a conventional door stopper. Furthermore, when the door is to be closed again, the open door is opened to an angle of 90 degrees or more so that the stopper separates from the ratchet wheel, and from this point, the door is closed by the operation of the door closer, thereby preventing safety accidents such as finger pinching. Additionally, if the power switch is turned off while the door is fully open, a normal This is a technology regarding a door closer equipped with a braking device that allows it to be usefully switched and used in the operating mode of the door closer.

[0011] Another technology is presented in the “Door Closer” of Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2019588 (registered September 2, 2019, hereinafter referred to as “Literature 4”),

[0012] Reference 4 describes a structure in which an elastic member is disposed inside a housing, a movable body having teeth on one side is elastically supported by the elastic member and disposed to move linearly inside the housing, a rotating body having teeth on its circumferential surface is connected to a link that rotates according to the opening and closing of a door and meshes with the teeth of the movable body and is rotatably installed inside the housing, a piston is installed on the front end surface of the movable body, and an air cylinder surrounding the piston is installed inside the housing, a unidirectional opening / closing port is installed on one side of the piston or the air cylinder to block the leakage of air inside the air cylinder when the piston compresses the air inside the air cylinder and to introduce external air into the air cylinder when the piston expands the air inside the air cylinder, a damping air outlet is formed inside the air cylinder to damp when the air inside the air cylinder is discharged, and the opening / closing force of the damping air outlet is varied by an elastic force so that when the air pressure inside the cylinder exceeds a certain pressure The present invention relates to a door closer that exhibits effects such as being able to reduce the closing speed more quickly in the closing direction of the door by installing an air pressure adjusting means for adjusting the discharge of air inside the air cylinder to the damping air outlet at the outlet side of the damping air outlet, and by maintaining a constant pressure of air inside the air cylinder even when the door is closed and then stopped and then closed again, thereby allowing the closing speed of the door to be reduced more quickly when the door is closed and then closed again, thereby enabling the timing of damping the door closing force with air pressure to be advanced.

[0013] The mode-switching door closer according to the present invention is a technology proposed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and

[0014] The purpose is to enable switching between modes so that the door can be used in a normal mode where the door closes automatically while open, so that the user does not need to close the door directly, and in a stop-and-go mode where the door is kept open and can be opened at a certain angle, and the door closes automatically when pushed in the closing direction.

[0015] The purpose is to enable remote control so that the door can be automatically closed even in stop-and-go mode in case of an emergency such as a fire, without any pushing force being applied in the closing direction of the door.

[0016] The mode-switching door closer according to the present invention aims to achieve the above objectives,

[0017] A cylinder body installed in a door and having a sealed cylindrical space inside, said space filled with fluid;

[0018] A piston disposed in the space of the body, dividing the space into left and right spaces, sliding left and right along the space by means of a link that rotates according to the opening and closing of the door, and having a left and right through-type fluid transfer path inside;

[0019] A return spring disposed in the space of the above body and compressed by the above piston, which slides to the right when the door is opened;

[0020] A check valve coupled to the transfer path of the above piston;

[0021] A first fluid path formed in the body to guide the movement of fluid toward the right space by means of the piston that slides to the left by means of the link that rotates when the door is closed and the return spring that restores, until the door reaches a partially closed angle, and a second fluid path formed in the body to guide the movement of fluid until the door moves beyond the partially closed angle and reaches a fully closed angle; and

[0022] A mode switching unit having a structure capable of being installed at the inlet of the first Euro to open and block the flow of fluid, wherein when the fluid flow is opened, the operation of the piston and the link linked thereto is sustained to enable a normal mode in which the door automatically closes, and when the fluid flow is blocked, the operation of the piston and the link linked thereto is stopped to maintain the open state of the door, and when the door is forcibly closed, the fluid flow is forcibly opened to enable a stop-and-go mode in which the door automatically closes.

[0023] The present invention provides a mode-switching door closer characterized by comprising: a push head disposed in an area where the fluid flow direction is switched at the inlet of the first Euro; a guide hole formed to penetrate the body in the front and rear so that the push head moves in and out; an elastic spring disposed on the rear side of the push head in the guide hole; and a handler fitted into the guide hole that presses the elastic spring upon operation to advance the push head.

[0024] The mode-switching door closer according to the present invention is,

[0025] The greatest benefit is that it allows switching between Normal Mode and Stop & Go Mode, enabling users to set and use the mode they prefer.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional configuration diagram showing a mode-switching door closer according to the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is an exploded three-dimensional view of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagonal cross-sectional view showing a mode-switching door closer according to the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a planar configuration of FIG. 3,

[0030] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram to show the first Euro and mode switching unit,

[0031] FIGS. 6 and 7 are operating state configuration diagrams for showing the operating state of a mode switching unit,

[0032] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram to show an automatic door closing unit.

[0033] The door closer according to the present invention relates to a door closer capable of mode switching, and,

[0034] A cylinder body (10) installed in a door and having a sealed cylindrical space (11) inside, with fluid filled in the space (11);

[0035] A piston (20) disposed in a space (11) of the body (10) and dividing the space (11) into left and right space sections (11A, 11B), which slides left and right along the space (11) by means of a link (1) that rotates according to the opening and closing of the door, and which has a left and right through-type fluid transfer path (21) inside;

[0036] A return spring (30) that is placed in the space (11) of the body (10) and is compressed by the piston (20) that slides to the right when the door is opened;

[0037] A check valve (40) coupled to the transfer path (21) of the piston (20);

[0038] A first fluid path (50) formed in the body (10) to guide the movement of fluid in the left space (11A) toward the right space (11B) by means of the piston (20) which slides to the left by means of the link (1) that rotates when the door is closed and the return spring (30) that restores, until the door reaches a partially closed angle, and a second fluid path (60) formed in the body (10) to guide the movement of fluid until the door moves beyond the partially closed angle and reaches a fully closed angle; and

[0039] A mode switching unit (70) having a structure for opening and closing the flow of fluid, installed at the inlet (51) of the first Euro (50), wherein when the flow of fluid is opened, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is continued to enable a normal mode in which the door is automatically closed, and when the flow of fluid is closed, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is stopped to maintain the open state of the door, and when the door is forcibly closed, the flow of fluid is forcibly opened to enable a stop and go mode in which the door is automatically closed;

[0040] It is characterized by including

[0041] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0042] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention. Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely one preferred embodiment of the invention and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications capable of replacing them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0043] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, the mode-switching door closer according to the present invention is,

[0044] It is largely composed of a cylinder body (10), a piston (20), a return spring (30), a check valve (40), a first flow path (50), a second flow path (60), and a mode switching unit (70).

[0045] If we look at each component,

[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the body (10)

[0047] It is formed as a rectangular enclosure structure that is long from left to right, having a sealed cylindrical space (11) with the left and right ends closed inside, and filling the space (11) with fluid.

[0048] At this time, the above space (11) is formed with a hole penetrating left and right within the body (10), and forms a cylindrical space structure that is blocked by plugs fastened to both ends of the hole.

[0049] The above-mentioned body (10) of this structure is fixedly installed on the inner surface of the interior side of the door by means of bolts, etc.

[0050] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the piston (20)

[0051] It is structured such that it is positioned in the space (11) of the body (10), divides the space (11) into left and right space sections (11A, 11B), slides left and right along the space (11) by means of a link (1) that rotates according to the opening and closing of the door, and has a left and right through-type fluid transfer path (21) inside.

[0052] At this time, the piston (20) is fitted with a gasket at its left end and has a gear formed at its right end that meshes with the teeth formed on the outer surface of the link (1), so that the piston (20) slides to the left or right when the link (1) rotates.

[0053] In addition, a transfer path (21) is further formed at the left end of the piston (20) to pass through the gasket from left to right, and the transfer path (21) serves as a passage that guides the fluid in the left space (11A) to move toward the right space (11B) when the piston (20) slides from the right space (11B) of the body (10) to the left space (11A).

[0054] And the above link (1) is rotatably installed on the adjacent door frame while the body (10) is installed on the inner side of the door.

[0055] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the return spring (30) is

[0056] It is composed of a spiral spring structure that is placed in the space (11) of the body (10) and is compressed by the piston (20) which slides to the right when the door is opened.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the check valve (40)

[0058] The valve structure is formed such that when the piston (20) slides to the right, the fluid in the right side of the transfer path (21), i.e., the right space (11b), is opened to be transferred to the left side of the transfer path (21), i.e., the left space (11A), and conversely, when fluid is transferred from the left side to the right side of the transfer path (21), it is blocked.

[0059] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7, the first Euro (50) is

[0060] The fluid in the left space (11A) is guided to move toward the right space (11B) by the piston (20) which slides to the left by the link (1) that rotates when the door is closed and the return spring (30) that restores it, and the fluid is guided to move until the door reaches a partially closed angle, and the passage structure formed in the body (10) is configured to guide the movement of the fluid.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8, the second Euro (60) is

[0062] The fluid in the left space (11A) is guided to move toward the right space (11B) by the piston (20) which slides to the left by the link (1) that rotates when the door is closed and the return spring (30) that restores it, and the fluid is guided to move until the door moves beyond a partially closed angle and reaches a fully closed angle, and the passage structure formed in the body (10) is configured to guide the movement of the fluid.

[0063] Here, the term “partially closed angle” means an opening angle of approximately 10 to 30° just before the door is completely closed, and the term “completely closed angle” means that the door enters the door frame and is in a completely closed state, i.e., the opening angle is 0°.

[0064] The above mode switching unit (70) is installed at the inlet (51) of the first fluid path (50) to open and close the flow of fluid.

[0065] When the fluid flow is opened, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is continued so that the door is automatically closed in a normal mode, and when the fluid flow is blocked, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is stopped so that the door remains open, and when the door is forcibly closed, the fluid flow is forcibly opened so that the door is automatically closed in a stop-and-go mode.

[0066] For this structure, the mode switching unit (70) is, as shown in FIG. 8,

[0067] A push head (71) positioned in the area where the direction of fluid flow is changed at the inlet (51) of the first Euro (50),

[0068] A guide hole (72) formed to penetrate the body (10) so that the push head (71) can move in and out back and forth,

[0069] An elastic spring (73) positioned on the rear side of the push head (71) in the guide hole (72), and

[0070] A handler (74) that is fitted into the guide hole (72) and presses the elastic spring (73) to advance the push head (71) when operated.

[0071] It consists of including

[0072] At this time, as shown in Fig. 5, it is preferable that the diameter of the guide hole (72) is larger than the diameter (D1) of the inlet (51) of the first Euro (50).

[0073] And as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the push head (71) has a conical structure with a pointed end, so that when the fluid on the side of the inlet (51) of the first flow path (50) pushes the push head (71) by the force pushing the door and the restoring force of the return spring (30), the space between the inlet (51) of the first flow path (50) and the push head (71) gradually opens, and the speed of the fluid flowing into this space slows down and the pressure gradually increases, so that the push head (71) does not close and continues to be pushed open.

[0074] And it is preferable that the elastic spring (73) has an elastic force such that when the push head (71), which is advanced by being pressed by the handler (74), blocks the inlet (51) of the first fluid path (50), the fluid flow from the right space (11B) of the body (10) to the left space (11A) along the first fluid path (50) is restricted, and when a pushing force is applied in the direction of closing the door, the restoring force of the return spring (30) and the pushing force are combined to cause the push head (71) to retract.

[0075] And the handler (74) is structured such that when rotating in one direction, it presses the elastic spring (73) to advance the push head (71), and when rotating in the other direction, it does not press the elastic spring (73) to elastically support the push head (71).

[0076] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the handler (74) of an example is composed of a support (74a) that is coupled to the guide hole (72) and has an outer end of the handler (74) moving in and out of the support, and a lever (74c) that is hinge-coupled to the support (74a) and has an eccentric cam (74b) that supports the outer end of the handler (74). When the lever (74c) rotates, the handler (74) is advanced by the eccentric cam (74b), and conversely, when the lever (74c) rotates, that is, when it returns to its original position, the handler (74) is retracted.

[0077] Although not illustrated, the above-described handler (74) of another example may be implemented such that when the lever rotates, the push head (71) is moved forward when the corresponding diagonal surface rotates 180°, and the push head (71) is moved backward when the corresponding diagonal surface rotates 180°.

[0078] Although not illustrated, another example of the above handler (74) may be composed of a rack gear formed on its outer surface, a pinion gear that meshes with the rack gear, and a drive motor that transmits rotational power to the pinion gear, and additionally, a separate switch electrically connected to the drive motor may be provided on the body (10) so that the drive motor can be operated when the switch is operated, thereby enabling the user to easily operate the handler (74) by only operating the switch.

[0079] Meanwhile, the mode-switching door closer according to the present invention further includes a door automatic closing unit (80).

[0080] As shown in FIG. 8, the automatic door closing unit (80) is

[0081] In the second Euro (60), a return line (81) extending to a position facing the exit of the first Euro (50),

[0082] An auto head (82) positioned on the above return line (81) and responsible for opening and closing the above return line (81),

[0083] A driving unit (83) that provides power for the forward and backward movement of the above auto head (82),

[0084] A controller (84) that controls the operation of the above-mentioned drive unit (83), and

[0085] Wireless communication module (85) for transmitting an external remote signal to the controller

[0086] It consists of including

[0087] At this time, a rack gear is formed on the outer surface of the auto head (82), and a pinion gear meshing with it is provided. The auto head (82) can be implemented to open and close the return line (81) by means of a driving unit (83) consisting of a motor that transmits rotational power to the pinion gear.

[0088] To this end, the drive unit (83) comprises a rack gear (831) formed at the outer end of the auto head (82), a pinion gear (832) that meshes with the rack gear (831), and a drive motor (833) that transmits rotational power to the pinion gear (832).

[0089] In addition, the remote signal from the control center is received by the wireless communication module (85) and transmitted to the controller (84), thereby allowing the controller (84) to control the drive unit (83), so that in case of an emergency such as a fire, the auto head (82) is opened to allow fluid to flow through the return line (81). Through this, the door that was stopped from opening is automatically closed.

[0090] Ultimately, this allows the door to be remotely controlled so that it closes automatically even in stop-and-go mode in case of an emergency such as a fire, without any force being applied in the direction of the door closing.

[0091] In describing the present invention above, the focus has been on a "mode-switching door closer" having a specific shape and structure with reference to the attached drawings; however, the present invention is capable of various modifications and changes by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and changes should be interpreted as falling within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0092] The mode-switching door closer according to the present invention implements the automatic closing function and the open state maintenance function of a door in a single device, making it applicable to all environments where doors are installed, such as residential buildings, commercial buildings, and industrial buildings. In particular, since its utility is very high in spaces with frequent entry and exit, such as multi-use facilities, public facilities, offices, hospitals, hotels, and apartment complexes, it has sufficient industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A cylinder body (10) installed in a door and having a sealed cylindrical space (11) inside, with fluid filled in the space (11); A piston (20) disposed in a space (11) of the body (10) and dividing the space (11) into left and right space sections (11A, 11B), which slides left and right along the space (11) by means of a link (1) that rotates according to the opening and closing of the door, and which has a left and right through-type fluid transfer path (21) inside; A return spring (30) that is placed in the space (11) of the body (10) and is compressed by the piston (20) that slides to the right when the door is opened; A check valve (40) coupled to the transfer path (21) of the piston (20); A first fluid path (50) formed in the body (10) to guide the movement of fluid in the left space (11A) toward the right space (11B) by means of the piston (20) which slides to the left by means of the link (1) that rotates when the door is closed and the return spring (30) that restores, until the door reaches a partially closed angle, and a second fluid path (60) formed in the body (10) to guide the movement of fluid until the door moves beyond the partially closed angle and reaches a completely closed angle; and A mode switching unit (70) having a structure for opening and closing the flow of fluid, installed at the inlet (51) of the first Euro (50), wherein when the flow of fluid is opened, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is continued to enable a normal mode in which the door is automatically closed, and when the flow of fluid is closed, the operation of the piston (20) and the link (1) linked thereto is stopped to maintain the open state of the door, and when the door is forcibly closed, the flow of fluid is forcibly opened to enable a stop and go mode in which the door is automatically closed; A mode-switching door closer characterized by including 2. In Paragraph 1, The above mode switching unit (70) is A push head (71) positioned in the area where the direction of fluid flow is changed at the inlet (51) of the first Euro (50), and A guide hole (72) formed to penetrate the body (10) in the forward and backward directions so that the push head (71) can move in and out, and An elastic spring (73) positioned on the rear side of the push head (71) in the guide hole (72), and A handler (74) that is fitted into the guide hole (72) and presses the elastic spring (73) to advance the push head (71) when operated. A mode-switching door closer characterized by being composed of 3. In Paragraph 2, A mode-switching door closer characterized in that the diameter (D2) of the guide hole (72) is larger than the diameter (D1) of the entrance (51) of the first Euro (50).

4. In Paragraph 2, The above elastic spring (73) is characterized by having an elastic force such that when the push head (71), which is advanced by being pressed by the handler (74), blocks the inlet (51) of the first fluid path (50), the fluid flow from the right space (11B) to the left space (11A) of the body (10) along the first fluid path (50) is restricted, and when a pushing force is applied in the closing direction of the door, the restoring force of the return spring (30) and the pushing force are combined to cause the push head (71) to retract.

5. In Paragraph 2, A mode-switching door closer characterized by the above handler (74) having a structure that presses the elastic spring (73) to advance the push head (71) when rotating in one direction, and does not press the elastic spring (73) to elastically support the push head (71) when rotating in the other direction.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above-described handler (74) is coupled to the guide hole (72) and comprises a support member (74a) in which the outer end of the handler (74) moves in and out, and a lever (74c) having an eccentric cam (74b) that is hinge-coupled to the support member (74a) and supports the outer end of the handler (74), and is characterized in that when the lever (74c) rotates, the handler (74) is advanced by the eccentric cam (74b), and conversely, when the lever (74c) rotates, that is, when it returns to its original position, the handler (74) is retracted.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 6, A mode-switching door closer characterized by further including a door automatic closing unit (80) comprising: a return line (81) extending to a position facing the exit of the first euro (50) in the second euro (60); an auto head (82) positioned on the return line (81) and responsible for opening and closing the return line (81); a drive unit (83) providing power for the forward and backward movement of the auto head (82); a controller (84) controlling the operation of the drive unit (83); and a wireless communication module (85) for transmitting an external remote signal to the controller.

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