EP1344948A2

EP1344948A2 - Door opening and closing device

Info

Publication number: EP1344948A2
Application number: EP03380055A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Orantes Zambrano
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-13
Filing date: 2003-03-12
Publication date: 2003-09-17
Also published as: ES2230935A1; EP1344948A3

Abstract

The device comprises a fluid dynamic cylinder (1) for driving the door opening and closing movement and means for damping said movement when the door nears its final open or closed position, and it is characterised in that said damping means comprise a telescopic body (2) and a moveable thrust washer (3) on the rod (4) of said fluid dynamic cylinder (1), said washer (3) being able to be fixed on said rod (4) in the desired position, so that when said washer (3) abuts with the telescopic body (2), it moves it and damps the door opening or closing movement.

It enables easily adjusting the damping means, as this can be done by simply moving the thrust washer along the cylinder rod.

Description

The present invention refers to a door opening and closing device, which enables very easily adjusting final damping of the opening and closing path.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are doors whose opening and closing movement is driven by a fluid dynamic cylinder. These kinds of doors are usually very heavy and have the drawback of causing excessive noise when they stop in the final opening or closing position.
To resolve this drawback, damping means have been included in the fluid dynamic cylinder, that slow down the door movement in its final opening or closing stretch. In this way, the door gently opens or closes, without causing noise.
However, the damping means used today have the drawback of being complicated to adjust, which must be carried out on each door so that they adequately comply with their function.
Today, installers of these damping systems have to adjust their position by making a rough guess so that the door displacement velocity is reduced at the end of the path, which means that they must invest a considerable amount of time in said adjustment.
Furthermore, it is currently necessary to use a double damping system, one for opening the door and the other for its closure, which raises the cost of the closing device and complicates its installation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With the device of the invention said drawbacks are resolved, and it has other advantages which will be described.
The door opening and closing device of the invention comprises a fluid dynamic cylinder for driving the door opening and closing movement and means for damping said movement when the door nears its final open or closed position, and it is characterised in that said damping means comprise a telescopic body and a moveable thrust washer on the rod of said fluid dynamic cylinder, said washer being able to be fixed on said rod in the desired position, so that when said washer abuts with the telescopic body, it moves it and damps the door opening or closing movement.
Thanks to this characteristic it is very easy to adjust the damping means, as this can be done by simply moving the thrust washer along the cylinder rod.
The device of the present invention also has an anti-wind effect, so that when the door is open, the damping itself with the telescopic body, contracted by the stop washer, brakes the motor, preventing the wind from closing the door.
On the other hand, the closing manoeuvre is carried out with a slower movement whilst the telescopic body is contracted. This fact is very beneficial, as it gives warning of the closing manoeuvre.
Advantageously, said telescopic body also has elastic means associated, which prevent movement of same, so that when the washer abuts with said telescopic body, the latter moves against the action of said elastic means.
Also advantageously, said damping means include a single retaining needle provided with a couple of fluid inlets, a first inlet that is connected to the fluid supply through a fluid chamber and a second inlet that is connected to the fluid supply through a pipe that passes through said telescopic body, so that when the washer is not in contact with the telescopic body, the fluid goes through same entering into the retaining needle through the two inlets, and when the washer abuts with the telescopic body and moves it, the passage of fluid through the telescopic body is stopped and fluid only goes into the retaining needle through the first inlet, decreasing the rod displacement velocity.
In this way, the opening and closing manoeuvres are damped using a single retaining needle, which simplifies adjustment of the device of the present invention and reduces manufacturing costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the abovementioned, some drawings are attached in which, schematically and by way of a non-limitative example, a practical case of embodiment is represented.
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid dynamic cylinder at the moment of opening or closing the door; and
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid dynamic cylinder at the moment of damping the door opening or closing movement.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown by the figures, the damping means of the opening and closing device of the present invention include a fluid dynamic cylinder, generally identified by the numerical reference 1 provided with a rod 4 and a piston 12 joined to same that moves inside its chamber 13.
The damping means also comprise a fluid circuit, which includes from a fluid inlet pipe 9 to said chamber of the cylinder 13. Said circuit also comprises a retaining needle 6 and a fluid chamber 10, whose function will be described below.
Moreover, the damping means also comprise a telescopic body 2 which is movable in the direction of the rod 4, a spring 5 associated to said telescopic body, and a thrust washer 3 placed on the rod 4 and which is movable on same. This washer 3 can be fixed in any position of the rod 4 and is what determines initiation of the reduction in the door displacement velocity when it is opened or closed.
The retaining needle 6 is positioned between the fluid feed pipe 9 and said chamber of the cylinder 13. This retaining needle 6 comprises a first fluid inlet 7, connected to the feed pipe 9 through a fluid chamber 10, and a second fluid inlet 8, connected to the feed pipe 9 through a pipe 11 that passes through the telescopic body 2.
The door opening and closing device of the present invention works in the following way.
When door opening or closing is activated, fluid starts to be fed through the feed pipe 9 (arrow A). Fluid passes through the tank 10 and the pipe 11 of the telescopic body 2 (figure 1 position) and goes into the retaining needle 6 through its two inlets 7, 8, subsequently passing into the chamber 13 of the cylinder. The fluid pressure makes the piston 12 move in the direction indicated by arrow B, also causing displacement of the rod 4.
In the position of figure 1, the spring 5 pushes the telescopic body 2 in the opposite direction to that shown by arrow B, so that the telescopic body 2 remains in that position, enabling the passage of fluid through the pipe 11.
When the washer 3abuts with the telescopic body 2, the washer pushes it against the action of the spring 5, causing its displacement in the direction indicated by arrow B. This displacement prevents the fluid from going through the pipe 11, so that fluid does not go in through inlet 8 of the retaining needle 6. Consequently, the entry of fluid into the retaining needle 6 and therefore into the chamber of cylinder 13, is reduced, which causes the reduction in the displacement velocity of the piston 12 and the rod 4.
As the position of the thrust washer 3 is completely adjustable along the rod 4, when said reduction in velocity must be initiated can be easily determined.
Figure 2 shows the final position of the telescopic body 2, which corresponds to the door totally opened or closed position. As shown by this figure, the telescopic body 2 blocks the entry of fluid into the chamber 10, preventing the entry of fluid into the retaining needle 6 and the chamber 13, stopping the movement of the piston 12 and the rod 4.
It is important to point out that the device of the present invention works in exactly the same way in door opening and closing operations, using the same retaining needle for both operations.
Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the device disclosed is open to many variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned may be substituted by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

Claims

Door opening and closing device, which comprises a fluid dynamic cylinder (1) for driving the door opening and closing movement and means for damping said movement when the door nears its final open or closed position, characterised in that said damping means comprise a telescopic body (2) and a moveable thrust washer (3) on the rod (4) of said fluid dynamic cylinder (1), said washer (3) being able to be fixed on said rod (4) in the desired position, so that when said washer (3)abuts with the telescopic body (2), it moves it and damps the door opening or closing movement.
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said telescopic body (2) presents associated elastic means (5), which prevent movement of same, so that when the washer (3) abuts with said telescopic body (2), the latter moves against the action of said elastic means (5).
Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said damping means include a single retaining needle (6) provided with a couple of fluid inlets (7, 8), a first inlet (7) that is connected to a fluid feed pipe (9) through a fluid chamber (10) and a second inlet (8) that is connected to the fluid feed pipe through a pipe (11) that passes through said telescopic body (2), so that when the washer (3) is not in contact with the telescopic body (2), the fluid goes through same entering into the retaining needle (6) through the two inlets (7, 8), and when the washer (3) abuts with the telescopic body (2) and moves it, the passage of fluid through the telescopic body (2) is stopped and fluid only goes into the retaining needle (6) through the first inlet (7), decreasing the displacement velocity of the rod (4).