AU2018296282A1

AU2018296282A1 - Automatic door system

Info

Publication number: AU2018296282A1
Application number: AU2018296282A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Alexander Möstel
Original assignee: Franz Xaver Meiller Fahrzeug und Maschinenfabbrik GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Franz Xaver Meiller Fahrzeug und Maschinenfabbrik GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2017-07-03
Filing date: 2018-06-07
Publication date: 2020-01-02
Also published as: WO2019007628A1; EP3649315A1; ES2894626T3; HUE056018T2; DE102017211265A1; EP3649315B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic door system having - at least one door leaf assembly (3, 5) arranged so as to be movable between a closed door position and an open door position, - a controllable drive device (7) for automatically moving the door leaf assembly (3, 5) into the closed door position or into the open door position in response to an instruction to close the door or an instruction to open the door in an automatic mode, - a control device (25) for controlling the drive device (7) on the basis of instructions to close the door or instructions to open the door, and - a device for detecting and providing instructions to close the door and instructions to open the door for the control device (25), characterised in that - said system can be operated in a servo mode, in which the door leaf assembly (3, 5) can be moved from the closed door position or a position approximated therewith into the open door position under exertion of an external force on the door leaf assembly (3, 5) additionally to a servo force which is generated by the drive device (7) in the servo mode, but which is insufficient on its own for the process of opening the door, and - in that the control device (25) is designed to detect disturbances in the automatic mode and to authorise or activate the servo mode in the event that such a disturbance is detected.

Description

The invention relates to an automatic door system having at least one door leaf arrangement which is mounted to be movable between a door closed position and a door open position, a controllable drive device for automatically moving the door leaf arrangement towards the door closed position or towards the door open position in response to a door closing instruction or door opening instruction in an automatic mode, a control device for controlling the drive device in accordance with door closing instructions and door opening instructions, and a device for detecting and providing door closing instructions and door opening instructions for the control device.

Automatic door systems are known in many variants. They are door systems whose door leaves are moved between their closed position and their open position by means of controlled motor drives. They can in particular be in the form of automatic sliding doors, revolving doors, lifting doors or lamellar doors.

Automatic door systems of the type under consideration here can differ greatly in size and environment. For example, they can be large and heavy industrial doors, hangar doors, garage doors, etc. On the other hand, there are also relatively small automatic doors, such as doors of passenger lifts, etc.

In many automatic door systems, it is possible to move the movable door leaf arrangement manually once the controllable drive has been switched off, optionally using external auxiliary means which do not belong to the automatic door system in normal operation, for example if the associated control device has a fault in normal operation or if there is no longer adequate mechanical synchronisation of the door leaf arrangement or if servicing is to be carried out on the automatic door system.

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In particular in the case of very large and heavy door systems, but also in the case of smaller door systems, it can sometimes be difficult to move the door leaf arrangement manually, in particular if mechanical deformations of the door have taken place and the door has become more difficult to move as a result of warpage.

The object underlying the present invention is to improve an automatic door system of the type mentioned at the beginning, in particular an automatic lift door system, to the extent that it can be operated even in specific exceptional situations, at least in accordance with an emergency function, with little effort.

In order to achieve this object it is proposed according to the invention, starting from an automatic door system having the features mentioned at the beginning, that it can be operated in a servo mode in which the door leaf arrangement can be moved from the door closed position, or a position close to that position, towards the door open position by the exertion of an external force on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is generated by the drive device in the servo mode but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation, and that the control device is adapted to detect faults of the automatic mode and, when such a fault is detected, to authorise or to activate the servo mode.

The expression door leaf arrangement can be interpreted broadly within the scope of the present invention and include door leaves made of all suitable materials. A lamella assembly of a lamellar door can also fall under the expression door leaf arrangement within the scope of the present invention. The drive device will in most cases comprise at least one electric motor as the drive source. However, drive devices with other drive sources, such as hydraulic drives or pneumatic drives, should not be ruled out.

If, in the case of the automatic door system according to the invention, door operation in the automatic mode is disrupted in a manner that can be detected by the control device, a preferably automatic changeover into the servo mode can take place, so that the door leaf arrangement can, if required, be manually raised, folded

63587P WO/TImtu open, swung up, etc., depending on the type of construction. For this purpose, the automatic door system should be so adjusted that the force required for the door opening operation in the servo mode in addition to the servo force can be applied by a person without great effort. It should be less than 300 N and in suitable cases even considerably less, so that in very finely adjusted systems, optionally solely via the frictional coupling between the door leaf arrangement and a human hand, the additional force that is still required can be transmitted by the hand to the door leaf arrangement.

Within the scope of the invention, embodiments can be so configured that the servo mode is initiated immediately by the control device in the event of a relevant fault in the automatic mode. In other embodiments, it can be provided that, although the control device in principle authorises the servo mode in the event of a relevant fault in the automatic mode, the servo mode can still be initiated by an additional actuating step, such as actuation of a switch.

Embodiments can further be so configured within the scope of the invention that the drive device immediately generates the servo force and applies it to the door leaf arrangement when the automatic door system changes over into the servo mode.

In other embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the control device is adapted to detect, in the servo mode, whether an external force having a force component in the direction towards the door open position is being exerted on the door leaf arrangement and, when such an external force is detected, to authorise the generation of the servo force by the drive device or to activate the drive device for servo force production. In an electromotive drive device, the detection of such an external force can be carried out, for example, by monitoring the motor current or the motor voltage of the drive device for specific change patterns which imply the application of an external force. In hydraulic or pneumatic systems, corresponding pressure fluctuations of the hydraulic or pneumatic medium can indicate the application of an external force to the door leaf arrangement.

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In some embodiments of the invention, it can also be possible to switch off the automatic mode when there is no fault, so that the servo mode can be selected by or after switching off the automatic mode. In other words, the servo mode can, if required, also be set deliberately, for example for servicing or repair work on the automatic door system or on a higher-level system comprising it. For this purpose, it can be provided that the servo mode can be switched on only with a special key or/and in return for the provision of authorisation data.

It is further proposed that the servo force provided by the drive device in the servo mode has, according to its magnitude, a value, or as small a value interval as possible, from the range between 60% and 99%, particularly preferably between 70% and 95%, of the minimum force required to move the door leaf arrangement in the direction towards the door open position.

According to a further development of the invention, the automatic door system can be operated in a diagnostic mode in which a measure of the minimum force for automatically moving the door leaf arrangement can be determined, wherein the control device is adapted to adjust the servo force correspondingly if there is a change in the minimum force required for moving the door leaf arrangement, so that the servo force has, according to its magnitude, a value, or as small a value interval as possible, from the range between 70% and 95% of the last determined minimum force for moving the door leaf arrangement.

The diagnostic mode can be characterised in that the door leaf arrangement in its closed position is subjected to a force of the drive device in the closing direction against the known force action of a spring, and the force is reduced until it is in equilibrium with the force action of the spring. The electrical operating values of the drive device which can thereby be measured can be evaluated in order to obtain a measure of the minimum force for automatically moving the door leaf arrangement.

Although the servo mode has been related mainly to the door opening operation, there are also suitable within the scope of the invention embodiments of the

63587P WO/TImtu automatic door system in which a servo mode can also be initiated in a corresponding manner for the door closing operation, so that the door leaf arrangement can be moved from the door open position, or a position close to that position, towards the door closed position by the exertion of an external force on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is generated by the drive device in the servo mode but which alone is not sufficient for the door closing operation.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the automatic door system is an automatic door system of a lift.

In passenger lifts, people in the lift car can easily become insecure and anxious if the lift door does not open automatically in the usual manner when the lift car stops at a floor. The invention here makes it possible for the occupants of the lift car to quickly free themselves from the car by simply pushing the lift door open. Because the lift door according to the invention is very easy to open with servo assistance, the people involved in the opening operation quickly feel that they are carrying out a reliable alternative opening operation for the lift door, so that feelings of anxiety of the occupants of the car are quickly eliminated.

According to one embodiment of the invention, such an automatic door system of a lift can comprise at least one lift car door and at least one lift shaft door which comprise door leaves which, in the installed state of the lift for normal operation, can be coupled for joint opening in the door opening direction and in the door closing direction when the lift car stops at a floor containing the lift shaft door and which together form the door leaf arrangement which can be moved, in the servo mode, from the door closed position, or a position close to that position, towards the door open position with the application of an external force acting on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is applied by the drive device but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation.

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Preferably, the servo mode can be activated only when the lift car door and the lift shaft door are opposite one another when the lift stops at a floor.

Preferably, the automatic door system according to the invention is a preferably multi-leaf sliding door system. It can be, for example, a telescopic sliding door system.

The invention also provides a lift installation having an automatic door system according to the invention.

A single exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to the figures.

Figure la) shows, in a highly simplified representation, a front view of an automatic sliding door in the closed state, wherein an upper region of the door frame is shown partly cut away in order to make clear the door drive device.

Figure lb) shows the sliding door from Figure la) in the almost completely open state in a front view corresponding to Figure la.

Figure 1c) shows the sliding door in a snapshot in time in a front view corresponding to Figure la) and Figure lb) during a door opening operation in the servo mode, wherein it is shown that a person pushes the door in order to bring it into the open position.

The automatic sliding door system shown in the figures is a telescopic sliding door having a frame 2 and two door leaves 3, 5 which, during the opening operation and closing operation of the telescopic sliding door, move oriented parallel to one another and horizontally relative to one another in two parallel displacement planes lying one behind the other. The door leaves 3, 5 can be formed of panes of glass, for example, and be transparent. A drive device 7 serves to open or close the telescopic sliding

63587P WO/TImtu door automatically when duly required, wherein the door leaf 3 positioned on the right in Fig. la) and positioned in the displacement plane lying slightly further to the rear moves more quickly than the door leaf 5 positioned in the displacement plane lying slightly further to the front. In such telescopic sliding doors, the door leaf that is behind in the opening movement direction and that is ahead in the closing movement direction is conventionally displaced at about twice the speed of the other door leaf.

A rectangular circuit symbol in Figures la) - 1c) denotes a control device 25 of the telescopic sliding door. The control device 25 serves inter alia to control the drive device 7 in accordance with a door closing instruction or a door opening instruction. For providing the door closing instructions and the door opening instructions, the user has available a button arrangement 26 with a door opening button and a door closing button in the door frame to the side of the door opening 4. Such a button arrangement 26 can also be provided on the opposite door access side. The control device 25 generates control and switching commands for an electric motor 27 of the drive device according to a door closing instruction/door opening instruction, in order to provide the electric motor in a controlled manner with electrical drive energy and to specify the respective motor rotation direction. Depending on the motor rotation direction of the electric motor 27, the door leaves 3, 5 move in the opening movement direction or in the closing movement direction. The drive device 7 shown in simplified form in Figures la) to 1c) is a cable drive in which the electric motor 27, via a transmission belt 29 or the like, drives a first deflection roller 31 on the right above the door opening 4, wherein the deflection roller 31 comprises two cylindrical deflection roller portions 33, 35 which are arranged next to one another concentrically with the deflection roller axis, of which the deflection roller portion 33 has a larger diameter than the deflection roller portion 35. Each of the two deflection roller portions 33, 35 has a respective endless traction cable 37, 39, for example a toothed belt, looped around it and serves to drive and deflect the traction cable. A second deflection roller 41 which is axially parallel to the first deflection roller 31 is rotatably arranged on the left side of and above the door opening 4 and likewise comprises two cylindrical deflection roller portions 43, 45 having correspondingly

63587P WO/TImtu different diameters which are arranged next to one another concentrically with its deflection roller axis and which have the endless traction cables 37, 39 looped around them and serve for the deflection of the traction cables. The door leaf 3 that moves more quickly is connected via a carrier element 47 to the lower run 36 of the endless traction cable 37 which passes around the deflection roller portions 33, 43 having the larger diameter, while the other door leaf 5 is connected via a carrier element 49 to the lower run 38 of the endless traction cable 39 which passes around the deflection roller portions 35, 45. If the electric motor 27 is so controlled that it drives the deflection roller 31 for rotation in the clockwise direction (based on Fig. la)), the carrier elements 47, 49 move with the lower runs 36, 38 to the left in Fig. la), so that the door leaves 3, 5 are likewise displaced to the left in the door opening movement direction. If the electric motor 27 is so controlled that it drives the deflection roller 31 for rotation in the counter-clockwise direction (based on Fig. lb)), the door leaves 3, 5 are moved to the right with the lower runs 36, 38 from their open position according to Fig. lb) in the closing movement direction.

Because the traction cable 37 passes around the deflection roller portions 33, 43 having the larger diameters, it has a greater circumferential speed than the other traction cable 39 which passes around the deflection roller portions 35, 45 having the smaller diameters. Accordingly, the door leaf 3 moved together with the traction cable 37 is also displaced more quickly in the door closing movement direction and in the door opening movement direction than the door leaf 5 moved together with the traction cable 39. According to whether the control device 25 controls the electric motor 27 for rotation in the clockwise direction or in the counter-clockwise direction, the door leaves 3, 5 are thus displaced in the door closing movement direction or in the door opening movement direction.

It should be emphasised at this point that the electromotive traction cable drive device 7 discussed hereinbefore has been presented only as an example of a suitable drive device for a sliding door according to the invention. Other drive devices, such as spindle drives, linear motor drives, etc., are also suitable as door drives.

63587P WO/TImtu

Inasmuch as the automatic door system has been explained hitherto with reference to Figures la) - 1c), it has features which are known from the prior art.

In addition, the automatic door system according to the invention can be operated in a servo mode. Under certain conditions, automatic operation of the door system can thus be suppressed or switched off and the servo mode can be invoked, in which the door leaves 3, 5 can be moved from the closed position towards the door open position by the exertion of an external force on the door leaves in addition to a servo force which is generated by the drive device 27 in the servo mode but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation. It is indicated in Figure 1c) that a person 23 pushes the door leaves 3, 5 which are coupled with one another into the door open position in the servo mode. The manual force to be exerted for this purpose by the person 23 is very small, because the drive device 27 provides a servo force to the door leaves 3, 5 which likewise acts in the door opening direction but which alone is not sufficient to open the door. Thus, for example, it can be provided and set during normal operation that the servo force is about 90% of the minimum force required to move the door leaves 3, 5 into the door open position.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. la) - 1c), the servo mode can be switched on at a maintenance terminal 28 which is connected to the control device for data transfer, by operation of a key, for example by a service technician who has an appropriate service key for the maintenance terminal 28.

The servo mode can further be activated by the control device 25 if, in the automatic mode of the automatic door system, faults occur which are detected by the control device 25. Such faults can be faults in the program execution of the control program of the control device 25. Such faults can further be of a mechanical nature, such as faults in the synchronisation of the door leaves or jamming effects due to deformation of the door leaves 3, 5 or the guides thereof.

The control device is equipped with corresponding sensor means for monitoring the correct operation of the automatic door system at regular intervals and detecting

63587P WO/TImtu relevant faults and also responding to the faults by authorising or activating the servo mode.

The control device is also adapted, in the exemplary case, to detect in the servo mode whether an external pushing force in the door opening direction is being exerted on the door leaves 3, 5, for example corresponding to the situation according to Figure 1c). If it determines that such a force is being exerted on the door leaves 3, 5, it authorises the generation of the servo force by the drive device 27.

As already mentioned, the present invention can advantageously be used in particular in lift door systems. It can thereby be ensured, for safety reasons, that the servo mode can be activated only when the lift car in question is stopped at a floor.

In EP 1 914 189 Al, a lift door system and a locking mechanism therefor is described, wherein such a lift door system can be retrofitted with a low outlay, in particular programming outlay for programming the control device, in a manner that implements the invention, so that it comprises a lift car door and at least one lift shaft door which comprise door leaves which, in the installed state of the lift for normal operation, can be coupled for joint movement in the door opening direction and in the door closing direction when the lift car stops at a floor containing the lift shaft door and which together form the door leaf arrangement which is movable, in the servo mode, from the door closed position, or a position close to that position, towards the door open position by the application of an external force acting on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is applied by the drive device but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation. The content of the disclosure of EP 1 914 189 Al is to be incorporated by reference into the content of the disclosure of the present application.

Claims

1. Automatic door system having

- at least one door leaf arrangement (3, 5) which is arranged to be movable between a door closed position and a door open position,

- a controllable drive device (7) for automatically moving the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) towards the door closed position or towards the door open position in response to a door closing instruction or door opening instruction in an automatic mode,

- a control device (25) for controlling the drive device (7) in accordance with door closing instructions and door opening instructions, and

- a device for detecting and providing door closing instructions and door opening instructions for the control device (25), characterised in that

- it can be operated in a servo mode, in which the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) can be moved from the door closed position, or a position close to that position, towards the door open position by the exertion of an external force on the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) in addition to a servo force which is generated by the drive device (7) in the servo mode but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation, and

- in that the control device (25) is adapted to detect faults of the automatic mode and, when such a fault is detected, to authorise or to activate the servo mode.

2. Automatic door system according to claim 1, characterised in that the control device (25) is further adapted to detect, in the servo mode, whether an external force having a force component in the direction towards the door open position is being exerted on the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) and, when such an external force is detected, to authorise the generation of the servo force by the drive device (7) or to activate the drive device (7) for that purpose.

63587P WO/TImtu

3. Automatic door system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the automatic mode can be switched off, in that the control device (25) is adapted to detect whether the automatic mode has been so switched off, and in that the control device (25) is further adapted to authorise or to activate the servo mode in the event that the automatic mode is switched off.

4. Automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the servo force provided by the drive device (7) in the servo mode has, according to its magnitude, a value or a value interval from the range between 60% and 99%, particularly preferably between 70% and 95%, of the minimum force required to move the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) in the direction towards the door open position.

5. Automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it can be operated in a diagnostic mode in which a measure of the minimum force for automatically moving the door leaf arrangement (3, 5) can be determined, and in that the control device (25) is adapted to correspondingly adapt the servo force to the minimum force for moving the door leaf arrangement (3, 5), so that the servo force has, according to its magnitude, a specific value or lies in a value interval from the range between 70% and 95% of the last determined minimum force for moving the door leaf arrangement.

6. Automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is an automatic door system of a lift.

7. Automatic door system according to claim 6, characterised in that it comprises at least one lift car door and at least one lift shaft door which comprise door leaves which, in the installed state of the lift for normal operation, can be coupled for joint opening in the door opening direction and in the door closing direction when the lift car stops at a floor containing the lift shaft door and which together form the door leaf arrangement which can be moved, in the servo mode, from the door closed position, or a position close to that position, towards the door

63587P WO/TImtu open position by the application of an external force acting on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is applied by the drive device but which alone is not sufficient for the door opening operation.

8. Automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is a sliding door system.

9. Automatic door system according to claim 8, characterised in that it is a telescopic sliding door system.

10. Automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it can be operated in a servo mode in which the door leaf arrangement can be moved from the door open position, or a position close to that position, towards the door closed position by the exertion of an external force on the door leaf arrangement in addition to a servo force which is generated by the drive device in the servo mode but which alone is not sufficient for the door closing operation.

11. Lift installation having an automatic door system according to at least one of the preceding claims.