EP0015857B1 - Device for the motorized opening and closing of a gate - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for motorizing the opening and locking of a gate, more particularly of a gate with two leaves. This device, making it possible to fully automate the movements of the leaves, as well as their locks in the open position and in the closed position, comprises, for actuating each leaf, a tubular electric motor mounted along the vertical pivot axis of said leaf and located at the top of the leaf in a vertical tubular element integral with the leaf, the stator of this tubular motor and its output shaft being linked in rotation, one with a fixed element and the other with an element of the leaf.

• - Utilisation de moteurs électriques situés à l'extérieur du portail.
• - Commande par un vérin central agissant sur les deux vantaux.
• - Localisation des moyens moteurs dans le soi.
• - Absence de verrou spécial, le moteur assurant lui-même le blocage en fin de course.

For the motorization of the opening of a gate, in particular of a gate located outside on a fence and which can be controlled remotely, various solutions are already known with, as main current orientations:

• - Use of electric motors located outside the gate.
• - Control by a central jack acting on the two leaves.
• - Location of the motor means in the self.
• - Absence of a special lock, the motor itself ensuring end-of-travel locking.

The known embodiments require significant masonry work for the installation of the driving means, and moreover these driving means, as well as the transmission members, by their location, are subjected to the weather. In the case of electric motors, these are poorly insulated and protected, and the same is true for their supply wires which pass outside.

• - Les dimensions habituelles des charnières ne permettent pas d'y loger facilement un moteur électrique de puissance suffisante, avec le réducteur indispensable, et avec un limiteur de couple dont la présence est souhaitable.
• - La localisation du moteur dans une charnière du vantail pose des difficultés pour le passage et la dissimulation des fils d'alimentation du moteur, ainsi que de fils pouvant relier ce moteur à des moyens de verrouillage.
• - Par sa conception même, ce système ne convient pas pour les portails à pivots, qui sont actuellement de plus en plus répandus.

It has already been proposed (see Swiss patent No. 533 229) to house an electric motor of the "tubular" type, with its gear reducer, in a hinge of each leaf, the stator of this motor being linked to one of the two articulated elements of the hinge, while the rotor is linked to the other element. This provision represents a certain progress, but it still has drawbacks and inadequacies:

• - The usual dimensions of the hinges do not allow it to easily accommodate an electric motor of sufficient power, with the essential reduction gear, and with a torque limiter whose presence is desirable.
• - The location of the motor in a leaf hinge poses difficulties for the passage and concealment of the motor supply wires, as well as wires that can connect this motor to locking means.
• - By its very design, this system is not suitable for pivot gates, which are currently more and more widespread.

The present invention aims to remedy all of these drawbacks, by providing an improved motorization device totally incorporated in the elements of the leaf, therefore perfectly protected, requiring no special masonry work for its installation, and ensuring safely the opening and closing of the leaves, as well as all the locking functions, in the case of pivot gates, while allowing the use of a tubular motor of the trade and leading, in general, to an economic realization .

To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for motorizing the opening and locking of a gate, of the type indicated in the introduction, and in which the tubular motor, a torque limiter associated with this tubular motor, electromagnetic locking means excited by the starting of said tubular motor as well as the electric wires supplying the electromagnetic locking means, are all housed inside elements belonging directly to the leaf.

The invention thus provides a device with electric motors and other members incorporated entirely and only in the two leaves of the portal, therefore fully protected. For example, each tubular electric motor is housed in a lateral upright of the frame of the corresponding leaf, the tubular motor shaft being linked in rotation with this lateral upright by means of the torque limiter arranged below the tubular motor at the inside the same side upright, while the stator of the tubular motor. is linked to an upper lateral pivot of the leaf. Thus, it easily accommodates, inside the leaf, the torque limiter which constitutes a safety system for the case where the leaf becomes blocked during pivoting, encountering any obstacle. The connection in rotation between the torque limiter and the leaf can be made by means of drive parts of for example square section, corresponding to the internal section of the lateral upright of the leaf frame. The electrical supply of the tubular motor and of the entire device, from the outside, can also be made invisible, in particular by providing that the electrical supply cable of each tubular motor passes through the upper lateral pivot of the leaf. corresponding.

The electromagnetic locking means consist, according to another characteristic, of two electromagnetic latches making it possible to immobilize each leaf relative to the ground, each lock mounted in the lower part of a vertical tubular element of the gate comprising on the one hand an electro -magnet whose power is provided by electric wires extending inside the leaf corresponding, from the upper lateral pivot, on the other hand, a vertical locking rod linked to the movable core of the electromagnet and capable of being engaged in a hole opening at ground level, the electromagnet being excited simultaneously with the start of the motor of the corresponding leaf so as to raise the locking rod. Thus, the locking means are themselves fully integrated in the leaf.

Advantageously, the locking means further comprise a mechanical central lock, carried by one of the leaves and capable of immobilizing the two leaves relative to one another, this central lock comprising at least one bolt and one finger. pivoting control of this bolt which is connected, via an internal rod to a vertical tubular element of the leaf, to the mobile core of the electromagnet of the lower latch of the same leaf. This central lock, although mechanical in itself, is therefore electrically controlled, simultaneously with the two lower locks.

An additional safety function is to make manual operation of the gate possible in the event of a power cut. According to a particular arrangement, this function is obtained by providing that the central lock, carried by one of the leaves, is associated with a mechanical emergency lock, acting on the bolt of this central lock and capable of unlocking the lower electromagnetic lock of the same leaf by means of the aforementioned connecting rod, while the movable core of the electromagnet of the lower electromagnetic lock, on the side of the leaf not carrying the central lock, is linked to a manual emergency control button .

• Fig. 1 et 2 sont des vues d'ensemble, respectivement de face et en plan par dessus, d'un portail à deux vantaux équipé du dispositif de motorisation selon l'invention;
• Fig. 3 montre, à plus grande échelle et en coupe, la partie d'un vantail située à proximité d'un pivot latérai supérieur;
• Fig. 4 est une vue en coupe suivant 4-4 de fig. 3;
• Fig.5 montre le détail des moyens de verrouillage;
• Fig. 6 représente, partiellement et à plus grande échelle, une variante des moyens de verrouillage;
• Fig. 7 est une vue en coupe d'une butée de fin de course du portail, utilisée dans le cas où les moyens de verrouillage sont réalisés selon la fig. 6.

In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this device for motorizing the opening and locking a gate, as well as a variant:

• Fig. 1 and 2 are overall views, respectively from the front and in plan from above, of a gate with two leaves equipped with the motorization device according to the invention;
• Fig. 3 shows, on a larger scale and in section, the part of a leaf located near an upper lateral pivot;
• Fig. 4 is a sectional view along 4-4 of FIG. 3;
• Fig.5 shows the detail of the locking means;
• Fig. 6 shows, partially and on a larger scale, a variant of the locking means;
• Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an end of travel stop for the gate, used in the case where the locking means are produced according to FIG. 6.

The portal shown in figs. 1 and 2 comprises two motorized leaves 1 and 2 which are pivotally mounted around vertical axes, by means of upper lateral pivots 3 and lower lateral pivots 4. Each leaf has a rectangular frame formed mainly of two vertical tubular elements 5 and 6 and two horizontal tubular elements 7 and 8. The interior lining of the leaves can be produced by a filling 9 and / or a bar 10, according to any known arrangement. As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, each leaf 1 or 2 must be able to describe a pivoting of approximately 90 °, between a position of support against a common central stop 11 which is the closed position; and a support position contains a lateral stop, respectively 12, 13, which is the fully open position.

The present invention provides, for the motorization of the opening and closing of the portal in question, two tubular motors 14 and 15 each of which is arranged vertically along the pivot axis of one of the leaves 1 and 2. More precisely, and as schematically shown in fig. 1, each tubular motor 14 or 15 is housed in the upper part of the lateral tubular upright 5 of the corresponding leaf, and is supplied with electric current by a cable 16 which advantageously passes inside the masonry and through one of the upper lateral pivots 3, therefore has no external part.

The gate further comprises two lower electromagnetic latches 17 and 18 intended to immobilize the respective leaves 1 and 2 relative to the ground, in the open position and in the closed position. Each latch 17 or 18 is mounted in the central tubular upright 6 of the corresponding leaf. The power supply of the latches 17 and 18 is provided by wires 19 which, starting from the tubular motor 14 or 15 of the corresponding leaf, descend into the lateral tubular element 5 then follow the lower tubular element 8. It is thus noted that the son 19 also have no external parts.

Finally, the. locking means comprise a central lock 20 which serves to immobilize the two leaves 1 and 2 relative to one another, in the closed position of the gate. It is a lock in itself mechanical, but electrically controlled by means of the lock 18 of the leaf 2. The lock 20 is housed in the central tubular upright 6 of the leaf 2, at mid-height thereof. ci, and connected to the electromagnetic lock 17 by means of a control rod, also mounted inside the tubular element 6.

Figs. 3 and 4 show in detail the upper part of the lateral tubular upright 5 of a leaf 2, as well as the corresponding upper lateral pivot 3. The pivot 3 comprises a bracket 21, one branch of which is vertical and fixed by screws 22 and 23 to the masonry, and the other branch of which, horizontal, has a central opening with a vertical axis, this bracket being covered by a cap 24 and fixed to the masonry with the interposition of a wedge 25, which has an opening 26 crossed by the power cable 16. A passage is also provided in the vertical branch of the bracket 21, so that the cable 16 ends up under the cap 24. As shown in fig. 3, the wedge 25 advantageously has a wedge shape, making it possible to "plane" the leaf 2 if necessary.

The tubular motor 15 has its cylindrical outer casing 27, belonging to the stator, linked in rotation, by its apex, to the square part 21, by means of two diametrically opposed radial fingers 28 and 29, which can be produced simply by a screw and a nut. An upper bearing 30 and a lower bearing 31, mounted around the casing 27, provide the guiding in rotation of the lateral upright 5 of the leaf 2, relative to the stator of the motor 15.

This tubular motor 15 includes a gear reducer, of a known type, the vertical output shaft 32 of which projects below the motor (see fig. 4) and is linked in rotation to the upright 5 by means of '' a torque limiter designated as a whole by 33.

The torque limiter 33 comprises a central drive sleeve 34, linked in rotation, by means of pins, with the output shaft 32 of the motor. On the sleeve 34 are stacked drive plates 35 which alternate with spacer washers 36, this entire stack being pressed against a shoulder of the sleeve 34, and compressed by means of spring washers 37 held by a screw 38, with interposition a support washer 39.

The drive plates 35 have a square or rectangular shape, for example, corresponding to the internal section of the upright 5. In the event of a high resistant torque, they can rotate relative to the sleeve 34, the drive being effected by friction.

Under the cap 24 (not indicated in FIG. 4) are mounted electrical accessories, such as connection bars 40 with several elements, from which the tubular motor 15 is fed (through the opening 41 of the branch horizontal of the square 21).

The opening 41 is also crossed by electrical wires 42, which exit from the casing 27 through eyelets 43 and go downward, passing through the drive parts 35. Other connection bars 44, located at the above the motor 15 inside the upright 5, electrically connect the wires 42 from the wires 19, already mentioned, which supply the lower electromagnetic lock 18 of the leaf 2.

Finally, fig. 3 also shows the fixing plate 45, mounted inside the vertical tubular element 5 of the leaf, this plate 45 serving to assemble the end of the upper horizontal tubular element 7.

The locking means comprising the two lower electromagnetic locks 17 and 18 and the central lock 20, are shown in detail in FIG. 5, in a first embodiment.

Each lower latch 17 or 18 comprises an electromagnet 53, the fixed part of which is mounted in the upright 6 of the corresponding leaf 1 or 2, and the movable core of which is capable of moving along a vertical axis. This movable core is integral with a vertical locking rod 54, able to be introduced into a hole opening at ground level. Around each locking rod 54 is mounted a return spring 55, compressed between the electromagnet 53 and a guide washer 56 retained on the rod 54. Each electromagnet 53 is mounted at a suitable height in the upright 6 by by means of a horizontal fixing plate 57, screwed laterally to said upright. The electrical supply of the two electromagnets 53 is provided by wires 58, which descend to the lower part of the uprights 6 and are connected, by means of fittings 59, to the ends of the wires 19.

The movable core of the electromagnet 53 of the latch 17, belonging to the leaf 1, is integral with another rod 60 which extends vertically, above the electromagnet, and which has its upper end connected to a manual emergency control button 61. This button 61 can slide in front of a light 62 arranged vertically on one of the faces of the upright 6.

The movable core of the electromagnet 53 of the latch 18, belonging to the leaf 2, is still integral with a yoke 63 which is located above the electromagnet. To this yoke 63 is articulated a rod 64, housed inside the upright 6, which connects the lower latch 18 to the central latch 20.

This lock 20 comprises, housed inside a body 65 itself mounted in the upright 6, two control fingers 66 and 67, one lower and the other upper, pivotally mounted about parallel axes superposed. The two fingers 66 and 67 are interconnected by means of a link 68, and the lower finger 66 is further articulated at the upper end of the connecting rod 64.

In the example considered, only the upper pivoting control finger 67 cooperates with a bolt 69. The latter, normally pushed by a spring 70 towards a strike 71 provided on the leaf 1, can be pulled out of the strike by the action of finger 67 ..

Finally, a mechanical emergency cylinder lock 72 is incorporated into the central lock 20. This lock 72 makes it possible to act on the link 68, therefore on the fingers 66 and 67. The connection between the lock 72 and the link 68 is possible by providing that a rotary finger 73, controlled using the lock, can be engaged in a corresponding notch formed in the link.

When the gate is in the closed position, the electromagnets 53 of the two lower latches 17 and 18 are not supplied. The two locking rods 54 are pushed down by their respective return springs 55. Thus the lower ends of the rods 54 are engaged in the corresponding holes located at ground level, so that the two leaves 1 and 2 are immobilized.

The connecting rod 64 and the link 68 then being pulled down, the bolt 69 is released and pushed, by the spring 70, into the strike 71. Thus the latch 20 also ensures immobilization of the two leaves. one over the other.

When the gate is in the fully open position, the two lower latches 17 and 18 ensure, in the same way, the immobilization with respect to the ground of the two leaves; the central lock 20 then obviously plays no role.

When it is desired to open or close the gate, the operation of the two tubular motors 14 and 15 is simultaneously controlled, in the direction of rotation corresponding to the desired movement. At the same time as these electric motors are controlled, the electromagnets 53 of the two lower latches 17 and 18 are supplied; their movable cores lifting, the two locking rods 54 are released from the ground. Simultaneously, the connecting rod 64 and the link 68 are pushed upwards, and the control finger 67 causes the bolt 69 to move back, against the action of the spring 70. The two leaves 1 and 2 are then released and can rotate. The pivoting movement, given by the rotation of the output shaft 32 of each tubular motor, is transmitted to each leaf by the drive plates 35.

If during pivoting one of the leaves 1 or 2 encounters an obstacle, the torque limiter 33 placed in the lateral upright 5 intervenes. In fact, beyond a certain resistant torque encountered by the output shaft 32 of the motor, the drive plates 35 can rotate relative to the drive sleeve 34.

The torque limiter 33 also operates at the end of the opening or closing travel. A delay indeed stops the motors 14 and 15, after a time a little longer than the time normally required for closing, which implies an "acceptance" of the movement of the output shaft 32, between the moment when the leaves 1 and 2 come against the stop 11 or the stops 12 and 13, and the instant when the motors 14 and 15 are no longer supplied.

When the motors 14 and 15 stop, the supply of the electromagnets 53 by the wires 19 is also interrupted, so that the lower locks 17 and 18 close again, the closing of the lower lock 18 ensuring, by l 'through the rod 64, that of the central lock 20.

It should also be noted that the device operates in such a way that the order of arrival of the two leaves 1 and 2 in the end-of-travel position can be arbitrary.

The button 61 and the lock 72 make it possible, when the electrical supply to the device is accidentally cut, to unlock the gate, and thus constitute a manual emergency command. Suppose an interruption in the power supply occurs while the gate is normally closed. When we try to control the opening of the gate, not only the motors 14 and 15 will not work, but also the three locks 17, 18 and 20 will remain mechanically closed, under the action of the springs 55 and 70. By operating the lock 72 using an appropriate key, it causes the lifting of the link 68, therefore the pivoting of the finger 67 and, consequently, the retraction of the bolt 69. Simultaneously, the connecting rod 64 is pulled upwards, and drives in the same direction the locking rod 54 of the lock 18, which is thus released from the ground. Leaf 2 can then be moved by hand. When this leaf was moved, the button 61 became accessible. It suffices to actuate this button, by lifting it along the lumen 62, to release the locking rod 54 from the bolt 17 from the ground. The leaf 1 can then also be moved by hand. It is understood that the same means also allow, if necessary, to manually unlock the gate remained in the open position, to close it.

If the power supply of the electromagnets 53 is maintained as long as that of the motors 14 and 15, as has hitherto been assumed, the leaves risk, at the end of the opening or closing stroke, of bouncing against the stop 11 or the stops 12 and 13. This does not prevent the leaves from being finally locked, but the motors, the reducers and the torque limiters may then be subject to jolts which may cause their deterioration. To avoid this possible drawback, it is provided, as a variant, that the electromagnets are excited by the starting of the motors, but that their supply is controlled by an independent delay, so as to be interrupted at a given instant during of the opening or closing movement, for example 2/3 of the travel of leaves 1 and 2.

In the latter case, the two lower electromagnetic latches 17 and 18 are advantageously produced as shown in FIG. 6. The two locking rods 54 are not integral with the movable cores of the two corresponding electromagnets 53. Each movable core carries a kind of socket 74, opening downwards, into which the upper end of the locking rod 54 is introduced. At this upper end, the rod 54 carries a pin 75, engaged in two longitudinal slots 76, diametrically opposite, of the socket 74. For the rest, the two latches 17 and 18 are not modified, and the parts which correspond to. those described with reference to Figure 5 are designated the same references.

The arrangement which has just been described in a variant allows each locking rod 54, which has fallen when the electromagnet 53 is no longer excited, to lift without carrying with it the core of the electromagnet and all the mechanical organs linked to said nucleus. This occurs in end of travel, when the rod 54 reaches the stop 11, 12 or 13.

In the case considered here, each of these end-of-travel stops can be produced as shown in FIG. 7. The stop 11, 12 or 13 comprises a vertical stop surface, covered with a rubber pad 77, and a ramp with a plastic coating 78 reducing friction. Between this ramp and the stopping surface, a hole 79 is dug. Thus, when the leaf 1 or 2 reaches the end of its travel, its locking rod 54, lowered since the corresponding electromagnet is no longer excited, is lifted by its passage on the ramp, then falls back into the hole 79, when the leaf is stopped against the pad 77. It is understood that any rebound is thus made impossible.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this device for motorizing the opening and locking of a gate which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all the variants comprising equivalent means.

Claims (7)

1. Apparatus for motorizing the opening and locking of a gate, more particularly of a gate with two leaves, comprising for actuating each leaf (1, 2) a tubular electric motor (14,15) mounted along the vertical pivot axis of said leaf and loctated in the upper part of the leaf in a vertical tubular member (5) integral with the leaf, the stator (27) of this tubular motor (14, 15) and its output shaft (32) being connected to rotate, one with a fixed member (3) and the other with a component (5) of the leaf, characterised in that the tubular motor (14, 15), a torque limiter (33) associated with this tubular motor, electro-magnetic locking means (17, 18, 20) excited by the starting-up of said tubular motor as well as the electrical wires (19) supplying the electromagnetic locking means are all housed inside members (5, 6, 8) belonging in their own right to the leaf (1, 2).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that each tubular electric motor (14, 15) is housed in a lateral upright (5) of the framework of the corresponding leaf (1, 2), the shaft (32) of the tubular motor being connected to rotate with this lateral upright (5) through the intermediary of the torque limiter (33) located below said tubular motor inside the same lateral upright (5), whereas the stator (27) of the tubular motor is connected to an upper lateral pivot (3) of the leaf.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that the rotary connection between the torque limiter (33) and the leaf (1, 2) is achieved by means of drive members (35) of square section for example, corresponding to the inner section of the lateral upright (5) of the leaf (1, 2).

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the electrical supply cable (16) for each tubular motor (14, 15) passes through the upper lateral pivot (3) of the corresr iding leaf (1, 2).

5. Ap, aratus according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the electro-magnetic locking means are constituted by two electro- magnetic bolts (17, 18) making it possible to immobilize each leaf (1, 2) with respect to the ground, each bolt (17, 18), mounted in the lower part of a vertical tubular member (6) of the gate, comprising on the one hand an electro-magnet (53) whereof the supply is ensured by electric wires (19) extending inside the corresponding leaf (1, 2), from the upper lateral pivot (3), on the other hand a vertical locking rod (54) connected to the movable core of the electro-magnet (53) and able to be engaged in a hole (79) opening up in the ground, the electro-magnet (53) being excited at the same time as starting up the motor (14,15) of the corresponding leaf (1, 2) in order to raise the locking rod (54).

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the locking means also comprise a central mechanical bolt (20), supported by one of the leaves (2) and able to immobilize the two leaves (1, 2) one with respect to the other, this central bolt (20) comprising at least one latch (69) and a pivoting finger member (66, 67) for controlling this latch which is connected through the intermediary of a rod (64) inside a vertical tubular member (6) of the leaf (2) to the movable core of the electro-magnet (53) of the lower bolt (18) of the same leaf (2).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the central bolt (20), supported by one of the leaves (2) is associated with a mechanical emergency lock (72), acting on the latch (69) of this central bolt (20) and able to unlock the lower electro-magnetic bolt (18) of the same leaf (2) through the intermediary of the aforesaid connecting rod (64), whereas the movable core of the electro-magnet (53) of the lower electro-magnetic bolt (17), on the side of the leaf (1) not comprising the central bolt, is connected to a emergency manual control button (61).

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