Automatic Building Closure Drive End Position Teaching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic building closure systems, such as roller garage doors, face challenges in achieving precise end position teaching and maintaining operational safety and comfort, particularly with the last slats not unwinding evenly and causing unwanted reversals or cracking noises due to high pressure, which complicates manufacturing and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An operating start method that includes a learning run in both closing and opening directions to teach end positions, using force monitoring and a closing end position adjustment element, such as a potentiometer, to fine-tune the end positions and prevent slat misalignment, allowing for offset adjustments to ensure precise alignment and reduce operational noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the building sash is driven against a mechanical stop to teach the closed position, then the end position can be automatically detected, but the last slats do not unwind evenly causing unwanted reversals and cracking noises
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary actions by detecting the force increase caused by the mechanical stop before actually commanding the building sash to move against it. The system prepares by monitoring the parameter dependent on drive force, and only after detecting the force threshold exceedance does it establish the learned closed position, preventing the slats from being forced against each other
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors a parameter dependent on the drive force during the teaching process. When the force threshold is exceeded (indicating contact with the mechanical stop), the system receives feedback and automatically adjusts by not commanding further movement in that direction, thereby preventing slat misalignment and cracking noises
2Extent of automation
If the building sash is driven against a mechanical stop to teach the end position, then automatic teaching is achieved, but slat misalignment and cracking noises occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors a parameter dependent on drive force in real-time during the automatic teaching process. When the force threshold is exceeded (indicating the mechanical stop is reached), the system receives feedback and automatically terminates the teaching process without forcing the slats against each other, thus preventing cracking noises and misalignment while maintaining full automation
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting when the mechanical stop is reached through force monitoring and autonomously determining the learned closed position without manual intervention or additional sensors, while simultaneously protecting itself from generating harmful cracking noises through the force threshold mechanism
3Measurement precision
If additional sensors are used to detect end positions, then precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit replaces mechanical sensors with a force-based detection system. By monitoring a parameter dependent on drive force (such as current consumption or torque), the system electronically detects when the mechanical stop is reached, achieving precise end position detection without adding physical sensors to the mechanical structure
Solution Approach 2:
The existing drive system serves dual purposes: it both drives the building sash and simultaneously detects the end position through force monitoring. The control unit utilizes the drive force parameter already available in the system, eliminating the need for separate sensing components and reducing overall device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enhances operational reliability, prevents slat misalignment, and reduces manufacturing costs by allowing for precise adjustment of end positions without additional sensors, ensuring safe and comfortable operation while maintaining safety standards.
Implementation Method 1
monitoring a parameter on the gate drive, which is dependent on the drive force, to determine whether it exceeds or falls below predetermined thresholds. Such parameters include, for example, the current draw, voltage, power consumption, and/or the rotational speed of the gate drive's electric motor.
Data Source
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AI summary
To achieve reliable operation of a cost-effective building closure, the invention provides a start-up method for setting up the operation of an automatic building closure (10), which has a building closure leaf (12) composed of several segments or louvers (22) and a building closure drive connected to the building closure leaf (12) such that driving in the closing direction exerts a compressive force in the direction of compressing the segments or louvers (22) and driving in the opening direction exerts a tensile force in the direction of pulling the segments or louvers (22) apart, comprising the step: a) performing a learning run in the closing direction to teach a closed position, wherein step a) includes: a1) driving the building closure leaf (12) in the closing direction, a2) allowing the building closure leaf (12) to run against a mechanical stop in the closed position,a3) Detecting the contact against the mechanical stop by monitoring a parameter dependent on the drive force in order to detect an exceedance of a force threshold, a4) Teaching a learned closing position by detecting the position of the building closure sash (12) at which contact against the mechanical stop was detected in step a3) by means of force threshold detection, wherein step a) further comprises: a5) Selecting a position of the building closure sash (12) as the closing position, which is offset relative to the learned closing position in the opening direction.