Door Drive With Meshing Toothings For Variable Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door and window drives require multiple variants to accommodate different kinematics and torque curves, leading to increased complexity and variability in design, manufacturing, and maintenance, especially for overhead door closers where functions like latching and hydraulic locking are restricted to specific wing opening angles.
Innovation Solution
A drive system with a housing, a displaceable piston loaded by a spring unit, and a rotatably mounted output shaft with meshing toothings that allow for different toothing areas and torque curves, enabling the same drive to be used with both sliding arms and linkages, and to cover various wing opening angles, thus eliminating the need for multiple variants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different door closer variants are used for linkage and sliding arm drives, then the specific kinematic requirements for each application are met, but the device complexity and variety of models increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal drive mechanism where the output shaft and piston are equipped with extended meshing toothings that can accommodate at least two different angles of rotation for coupling with different lever arrangements (sliding arm or linkage). This allows a single drive variant to perform multiple functions and adapt to different applications without requiring separate specialized designs for each lever arrangement type.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism incorporates adjustable coupling angles through the extended toothings, allowing the system to dynamically adapt its configuration based on the specific application requirements. The output shaft can be coupled at different angles relative to the piston axis, enabling the same physical component to serve different kinematic purposes rather than requiring fixed, application-specific designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple drive variants are maintained for different applications, then specific torque curves and kinematic requirements are satisfied, but manufacturing and warehousing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the meshing toothings on both the output shaft and piston, the patent creates a single universal drive design that can generate different torque curves through variable coupling angles. This eliminates the need to manufacture and stock multiple specialized variants, thereby simplifying production processes and warehousing while maintaining the ability to satisfy different torque requirements through configuration rather than physical differentiation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the meshing toothings are extended to accommodate different coupling angles, then a single drive variant can serve multiple applications, but the individual toothing dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extended meshing toothings are designed as segmented or modular features on both the output shaft and piston, allowing the toothing to extend along the axial direction to accommodate different coupling angles. This segmentation enables the same extended toothing structure to engage at multiple angular positions without requiring a completely different gear design, thereby achieving versatility while managing the dimensional increase through systematic extension rather than radical redesign.
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 solution allows for a single, compact, and simple door closer design that can adapt to different angles and torque profiles, meeting standard requirements for functions like latching and hydraulic locking without the need for multiple variants, simplifying production, maintenance, and warehousing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring unit which is compressed during a rotary movement of the output shaft when the wing is opened by moving the working piston and serves as an energy store for the automatic closing of the wing
Implementation Method 2
The interior of the housing is divided into several spaces by the piston, between which channels, in particular hydraulic channels, can be arranged with associated control valves for influencing the overflow of the damping medium
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5
AI summary
An actuator for a door, window, or similar sash, in particular a door closer, comprises a housing, a piston slidably guided within the housing and biased in the closing direction by a spring unit, and an output shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and interacting with the piston. The output shaft can be coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to a lever assembly that serves to transmit force between the sash and a frame. The output shaft and the piston are associated with meshing teeth, each extended such that different tooth engagement ranges result for at least two different angles of rotation at which the lever assembly can be coupled to the output shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.