AU712453B2

AU712453B2 - A door operator

Info

Publication number: AU712453B2
Application number: AU18476/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Raj Krishna
Original assignee: AUTO INGRESS Pty Ltd; Lincoln Sentry Group Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AUTO INGRESS PTY Ltd; Lincoln Sentry Group Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-08-18
Filing date: 1999-03-01
Publication date: 1999-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-18
Also published as: AU1847699A; AU700255B3

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

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*r C Name of Applicant: LINCOLN SENTRY GROUP PTY. LTD.

010 624 389) AUTO INGRESS PTY. LTD.

083 047 241) Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Raj KRISHNA CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

A DOOR OPERATOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: A DOOR OPERATOR This invention relates to a door operator and particularly relates to an operator for a swing door which allows a swing door to be opened using a motor drive, but allows the swing door to close without the motor drive.

Door operators for swing doors are known and are used to allow handicapped persons such as wheelchair bound persons to open a door without having to push the door open.

These door operators all have some form of electric motor coupled to a gearbox. These door closers are fitted above the swing door 10 and usually to the door jamb or to the area above the door jamb.

~One known type of door closer has an electric motor and a gearbox with the output shaft of the gearbox being attached directly to an upper side edge of the door and can form the hinge pin of the door. This door operator functions to open the door and also functions to close the door.

15 Another known type of door operator again has an electric motor and a gearbox. In this arrangement, the gearbox is attached to a link assembly where the link assembly is attached to an upper part of the swing door. Rotation of the link assembly in one direction forces the door open, and rotation in the other direction forces the door closed.

20 Another type of known door operator has an electric motor and a gearbox and a single rigid arm, one end of which is attached to the gearbox and the other end of which is attached to the door. Rotation of the arm in one direction opens the door. In this known arrangement, the door is also fitted with a standard type door closer such that the door is closed via the standard door closer and is pushed open via the door operator. This arrangement is particularly clumsy as two separate units are required and the upper part of the door has the operating arm as well as the link assembly, and care must be taken that the arm and the link assembly do not collide upon operation of the door.

Disadvantages with existing door closers is that installation is quite difficult and trained automatic door installers are required.

In the event of a power failure, some door operators can fail to 3 function properly, creating a safety hazard. Another hazard with existing door operators is premature closing of the door which may trap or injure a slow moving person, or a person with a pram.

Another disadvantage with existing door operators is that special hinges or extra hinges are usually required to compensate for the lateral force exerted on the hinges.

The present invention is directed to a door operating assembly which may overcome at least some of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

10 In one form, the invention resides in a method for opening a *"**swing door of the type which is fitted with a door closer, the door closer S.having rigid link members which are actuated by the door closer to pull the door closed, the method being to operatively associate a motor with the door closer such that operation of the motor will cause the door closer to open the 15 door via the link members.

In another form, the invention resides in a swing door operating assembly comprising a door closure which has a link assembly which is attached to the door, the door closure having retraction means to pull an open door closed via the link assembly, and a drive means operatively associated with the door closer to open a closed door via the link assembly.

The present invention is directed to the discovery that a drive means (typically an electric motor) can be coupled to a known type of door closer and can force the door closer to open a door as well as allowing the door closer to adopt it normal function of closing a door. With this discovery, the door operating assembly achieves many advantages.

The door closers can be conventional door closers having a housing and a link assembly. The link assembly is usually formed from two rigid steel members pivoted together, with one of the members being attached to an upper part of the door, and the other of the members being rotatably driven by a retraction means in the housing. The retraction means can be in the form of a piston working on a vacuum principle, a spring arrangement, a combination of the two, or other types of devices or 0 0 M 4 arrangements which function to rotate the link assembly to close and open a swing door.

It has been found that most of these door closers have a shaft or spindle to which the link assembly is attached. To allow the door closer to be used on left-hand and right-hand swinging doors, the shaft or spindle extends through each end wall of the housing and the link assembly can be attached to either end.

It is preferred in the present invention that the motor or drive means is attached to the free end of the shaft and spindle (with the link 10 assembly being attached to the other end of the shaft or spindle). This is a :°***simple yet elegant method to allow the door closer to now function as a door opener as well.

However, if the door closer does not have such a free shaft or spindle, the motor or drive means can be otherwise attached to parts of the 15 door closer to cause the link members to rotate in such a manner to open the door.

An embodiment of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 illustrates the position of the door operator above a 20 swinging door; Figure 2 illustrates a conventional type of door closer; Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention showing an electric motor coupled to the door closer.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown door operating assembly 10. The door operating assembly in the embodiment is fitted above a swing door 11. Swing door 11 has a knob 12 and is hinged to the door surround frame through hinges 13.

The door operating assembly consists of a door closure 14 which has a link assembly formed two parts being a first link member 15 and a second link member 16.

This type of door closer is well known in the art. The closer 14 has a housing 17 in which is located a retraction means which is usually in the form of a piston working on the vacuum, a retraction spring, or a combination. The retraction means is coupled to spindle 18 and causes spindle 18 to rotate about its longitudinal axis. Spindle 18 extends entirely through housing 17 such that the spindle projects from both sides of the housing. First link member 15 is rigidly coupled to spindle 18, and second link member 16 is pivotally coupled to the other end of first link member 15. Second link member 16 has an end plate 19 which is attached to the top portion of door 11 usually by screws. These door closers operate by forcing an open door to the closed position. That is, the door is initially opened by a person and 10 when let go, the retraction means inside housing 17 rotates spindle 18 to pull door 11 to its closed position.

The door operating assembly further includes a drive means S"which in the embodiment is in the form of an electric motor 21. Motor 21 is attached to a gearbox 22 and the output shaft 23 of gearbox 22 is coupled to S. 15 the free end of spindle 18. Motor 21 is electrically driven via a remote power source (this can be mains power, battery power, or mains power with a backup battery power arrangement).

The door operating assembly arrangement is such that actuation of electric motor 21 causes rotation of spindle 18 which in turn 20 causes the link members 15 and 16 to be driven in such a manner to push the door open. This process works against the retraction means which attempts to close the door. Once the door has been opened, the power can be switched off from motor 21 which will now cause the retraction means to pull the door back to its closed position.

In a variation, the coupling between gearbox 22 and spindle 18 can be a one-way coupling which means that spindle 18 is engaged when rotated in one direction (being the direction to open the door), but disengages when spindle 18 rotates in the opposite direction (by the action of the retraction means within housing 17). Alternatively, the motor and gearbox can be constructed in such a manner that when the power is cut off, the retraction means is sufficiently strong to pull the door closed even with the motor and the gearbox engaged to spindle 18 (but the power cut off from the I _M motor).

The arrangement can be provided with various safety features including cut-out relays. The motor and gearbox can be designed to have limited torque to suit the retraction means in the housing 17. There is less wear of the door operating assembly as the motor and the control is only used for the opening of the door and disable on the closing. This is particularly so in cases where on demand auto operation is selected such that disabled and elderly people can use the automatic operation while ablebodied people can operate the door manually. The door operating assembly is light-weight and compact in design and can be retrofitted to most doors.

The various components can be contained within a housing which can be formed metal sheets or other suitable material.

With the invention, the motor can be operated either using a remote switch (typically located on a wall a suitable distance away from the 15 door), or using an automatic switch which will operate the door as soon as the door is pushed slightly open. Floor switches, under carpet and under mat switches, and various types of sensors such as infrared sensors and the like can also be used.

With the design according to the invention, if the door is 20 obstructed on an automatic operation, the door will close in that position, enabling people to walk around the door or to push it open, exerting almost no force as the electric motor will automatically assist on opening the door when the door is pushed open.

No special hinges, or extra hinges, are required as there are reduced or no lateral forces exerted on the hinges. The force exerted on the hinges is identical to that exerted by the known door closer.

All electrical functions can be provided in the operating assembly such as adjustable dwell time, adjustable opening speed, adjustable torque, battery operation in power failure, operation with electric locking, and compatibility with a building management computer or security system.

The door operating assembly has reduced components, thereby providing a simple design which minimises the changes of component failure, and maintenance cost are lower than existing door operators.

The operating assembly does not restrict the opening width or opening height of the door and there are no messy arms or brackets in the door opening apart from the arms used on existing door closure.

The assembly can be used to open the door at any angle other than 90 degrees and no special door stops are required to achieve these angles.

Because the door closure is part of the arrangement, it will 10 absorb any shock caused by abuse or slamming of the door which in turn protects the electric motor, gearbox and associated controls.

should be appreciated that various other changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

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Claims

1. A method for opening a swing door of the type which is fitted with a door closer which can be of conventional manufacture and which has: a housing, a rotatable spindle extending through opposed walls of the housing, retraction means in the housing which works on the spindle to rotate the spindle in a door closing direction, and a link assembly which has a first link member attachable to the •i door and a second link member pivotally attached to the first link member and i rigidly attached to the spindle, the method comprising attaching a gear box directly to the spindle and a motor directly to the gearbox such that actuation of the motor .oooo causes rotation of the spindle in a door opening direction ,and providing 1° 5 means to deactivate the motor when the door is in its open position to allow the retraction means in the door closer to close the door, the motor and gearbox remaining coupled to the spindle during opening and closing of the door.

2. The method of claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described 20 with reference to the drawings. S.DATED this 1st day of March 1999 LINCOLN SENTRY GROUP PTY. LTD. 010 624 389) and AUTO INGRESS PTY. LTD. 083 047 241) By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.