EP1685645A1

EP1685645A1 - Roll-up shutter movement control device

Info

Publication number: EP1685645A1
Application number: EP04769646A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alain Tranchand
Original assignee: Somfy SA
Current assignee: Somfy SA
Priority date: 2003-10-24
Filing date: 2004-10-15
Publication date: 2006-08-02
Also published as: WO2005041400A1; FR2861513B1; FR2861513A1

Abstract

A device (1) including a DC actuator (3), a rectifier element (D1, D2) and a switch (K) controlling the actuator power supply by connecting the actuator to the power grid via the rectifier element. The device is characterised in that the switch (K) enables the actuator to be electrically connected to the power grid, in that the switch (K) is a unipolar inverter with three positions (UP, DN, 0), and in that the rectifier consists of two diodes (D1, D2) connected to the inverter.

Description

Device for controlling the movement of a roller shutter.

The invention relates to the field of motorization of roller shutters and of concealing or closing products or the like, intended for the building industry. The invention relates more particularly to a home automation device defined by the preamble of claim 1.

It is known in the prior art to replace the actuators traditionally used for the operation of roller shutters, blinds, doors or gates and equipped with alternating current motors (such as the single-phase induction motor with permanent capacitor), by actuators equipped with DC motors capable of supporting a high voltage, typically of the order of the maximum voltage of the AC network, ie 325 V for an effective voltage sector 230 V.

Patent application EP 1 091 078 constitutes an example of such an embodiment. The actuator comprises a connection between the sector and the motor by mounting a thyristor rectifier controlled by a receiver of radioelectric orders.

Patent application JP 2001-218498 also describes a device comprising a DC motor supplied from the AC sector through a converter followed by a control block ensuring bipolar reversal according to the orders received by the device, d 'a remote control.

It is known from US Pat. No. 4,560,909 to use half-wave control devices for the separate control of two loads such as a lamp and a fan. It is also known to switch from a full-wave supply to a half-wave supply in lighting installations, for example to indicate a next extinction at the end of a timer or even as in US Pat. No. 432,034 to switch from '' a full power supply at reduced power in an application where the activation of the load requires more power than its maintenance in the activated state.

The prior art suggests using full-wave rectification devices for supplying DC or universal motors, even if a time division using thyristors makes it possible to partially block the supply during each alternation. We can for example cite US Patent 3,639,822 describing a device for supplying an electrical tool comprising a DC motor, US Patent 5,015,928 describing a device for supplying a universal motor and US Patent 6,321,030 describing a device for feeding a DC motor with speed and / or torque control.

DC motors have a problem. Between them and the voltage source, they require a manual or controlled bipolar inverter to allow their rotation to be controlled in one direction or the other. These bipolar inverters are common in the field of very low voltage, but they are not offered in ranges of wall switches for the building such as those installed by electricians for lighting installations. The ranges of wall switches for the building have the advantage of a coherent design, adapted on a case-by-case basis to the decoration of the house or building. They are available almost exclusively in the form of unipolar two-position and three-position inverters when they are designed to control AC motors. Except by using a relay device, an installer cannot therefore ensure consistency in the same room between the light switches and the actuator control switches comprising DC motors.

In a completely different field than that of actuators intended to move a movable closure, concealment or sun protection element (the field of slide projection devices), document DE 22 47 578 discloses a device for controlling the power supply to a direct current motor with a power of the order of 25 mW. This device comprises a transformer, the primary winding of which is supplied by the mains voltage, and a three-position reversing switch connected in parallel with two diodes mounted head to tail. The switch makes it possible to short-circuit one of the diodes and to supply, through the other diode, the motor with a rectified single-wave voltage from the voltage available at the terminals of the secondary winding of the transformer. Due to the very low power consumed by the motor (compared to that of an actuator intended to move a movable element of closure, concealment or sun protection), the device makes it possible to connect the motor not to the mains but to the secondary of a transformer.

The object of the invention is to provide a control device making it possible to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. In particular, the invention provides a control device having elements compatible with traditional electrical equipment and compatible with devices for supplying alternative actuators.

The control device according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1. Different embodiments of the device are defined by dependent claims 2 to 7.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, two embodiments of the device according to the invention.

Figure 1 is an electrical diagram of a first embodiment of the device.

Figure 2 is an electrical diagram of a second embodiment of the device.

The device 1 for controlling the movement of a movable closure, concealment or sun protection element is shown in the single figure of the request. This device is supplied by the single-phase electrical energy distribution sector (230 V, 50 or 60 Hz), with a phase conductor LP and a neutral conductor LN. A possible protective conductor (earthing) is not shown.

This device comprises a DC actuator 3 and a three-position unipolar reverser K making it possible to differentiate an ascent or movement command in a first direction UP, a descent or movement command in a second direction DN and a command engine stop 0. The switch K is shown in a position for controlling a downward movement.

This reversing switch can also consist of two non-reversing switches electrically connected, with for example a mechanical device excluding their being closed simultaneously. Two diodes D1 and D2 are mounted in parallel in opposite directions between the phase conductor LP and a first and a second contact UP and DN of the inverter K. The movable contact of the inverter K is connected to the actuator 3 by a P1 wire. The assembly 2 comprising the inverter and the two diodes ensuring a rectification function of the mains voltage constitutes, for example, a wall switch meeting the electrical standards in force in the building sector. This assembly can also be integrated into the engine casing. The voltage between the wires P1 and P2 downstream of the switch K comprises only the positive half-waves of the mains voltage, comprises only the negative half-waves of the mains voltage or is zero depending on the state of the inverter.

In a second embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the control device 1 'comprises an assembly 2' having two diodes D'1 and D'2 and an inverter K '. The two diodes are connected in series, in opposition between the phase conductor LP and the wire P1 connecting the assembly 2 'to the actuator 3. The terminal common to the two diodes D'1 and D'2 is connected to the movable contact of the inverter K ', a first contact UP' of the inverter K 'is connected to the phase conductor LP and a second contact DN' of the inverter K 'is connected to the wire P1. In this embodiment, the terminal common to the two diodes can be connected to their cathodes or to their anodes.

The actuator 3 comprises a direct current motor driving an element 4 of movable or rollable screen type located in the building. It may include an automatic stop device stopping the supply of the motor when the limit switches are reached. The stop can be caused by rotation counting, or by detection of overcurrent of the motor current. ELD or ELU contacts open respectively when an extreme low position or an extreme high position is reached.

In the situation shown in the figure, the motor M is supplied by a single alternating current flowing from the neutral conductor LN to the phase conductor LP through the diode D2. The motor turns in the direction causing a descent of the element 4 which it drives and its supply stops as soon as the ELD contact opens, the screen then being in the extreme low position. It is noted that a diode D3 mounted in parallel with the contact ELU allows the element to rise, by authorizing the circulation of a current from the phase conductor LP to the neutral conductor LN, that is to say corresponding to the position UP of the inverter K. In the same way, a diode D4 makes it possible to supply the motor in the direction of descent when the element has reached its extreme high position.

Thus, to rotate the motor in one direction of rotation, it is supplied by positive alternations of the mains voltage and to rotate it in the other direction, it is supplied by negative alternations. Such a control device allows the use of a unipolar inverter whose use is common in electrical installations of buildings.

In the first embodiment of the device, to ensure the blocking of the engine when stopped, the position 0 of the inverter K can be connected to the neutral conductor LN. However, it may be preferable to order the closing of an undervoltage RL relay, whose opening contact ri closes as soon as the motor is no longer supplied.

The characteristics of the motor 3 must meet sizing criteria resulting from a supply by the rectified single-phase mains voltage. Thus, in a first variant embodiment of the device, a motor is used whose nominal voltage is equal to or close to the average voltage of the sector rectified by a full-wave rectification device. The insulation voltage of the motor is moreover at least equal to the amplitude of the sector sine wave. This choice leads to an oversizing of the motor: its nominal power, which will never be reached, is chosen twice as much as the power required. The advantage of this choice is to benefit from the motors provided by the manufacturers to operate directly on the rectified double alternation sector, and therefore available in large quantities and at low cost.

In a second variant embodiment, the motor is dimensioned to have a nominal power equal to the necessary power, but with a nominal voltage equal to or close to half the average full-wave alternation voltage. The insulation voltage of the motor is again at least equal to the amplitude of the sine wave. This solution requires a special dimensioning of the motor for this type of application, the adaptation of the motor in terms of power is better.

The choice between one or other of the variant embodiments is made on a case-by-case basis, according to specific economic constraints. The constraints induced on the dimensioning of the motor have a cost, paradoxically and perhaps for this only type of application, lower than the cost of using bipolar reversers.

In addition, the automatic systems developed over several decades for the control of reciprocating motors generally use a configuration equivalent to a three-position unipolar inverter. They can therefore be used to also control simple actuators comprising a DC motor according to the invention.

Finally, the simplification provided by the use of a unipolar inverter facilitates the implementation of a switch integrated in the actuator and remote-controllable as described in application EP 0 866 207 or in application WO 01/61139.

Those skilled in the art are normally dissuaded from using a single-wave rectifier. Indeed, this solution generates a priori undesirable effects such as torque pulsations or vibrations. However, the tests carried out within the framework of this invention invalidate this theory.

Claims

Claims:

1. Home automation device (1) for controlling the movement of a movable element (4) for closing, blocking or solar protection fitted to a building, comprising a DC actuator (3), a rectifier element (D1, D2 ; D'1, D'2) and a switch (K; K ') controlling the supply of the actuator by connecting the actuator to the mains via the rectifier element, characterized in that the switch (K; K ') galvanically connects the actuator to the mains, in that the switch (K; K') is a three-position unipolar inverter (UP, DN, 0) and in that the rectifier is made up of two diodes ( D1, D2; D'1, D'2) connected to the inverter.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the diodes (D1, D2) are mounted in parallel, head to tail between the phase of the sector and the inverter (K), the cathode of a diode ( D1) and the anode of the other diode (D2) each being connected to a different contact (UP, DN) of the inverter.

3. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the diodes (D'1, D'2) are mounted in series in opposition between the sector and the actuator, the common terminal of the two diodes being connected to the contact movable of the inverter (K '), a first contact (UP') of the inverter being connected to the sector and a second contact (DN ') of the inverter being connected to the actuator (3).

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (3) has a nominal supply voltage at least approximately equal to the full-wave rectified mains voltage and has a nominal power at least approximately twice the power required to drive the movable element (4).

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (3) has a nominal supply voltage at least approximately half of the full-wave rectified mains voltage and has a nominal power at least approximately equal to the power required to drive the mobile element (4).

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reverser (K) is located in the casing of the actuator (3).

Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the reverser (K) complies with the standards in force in the building sector to be embedded in a wall of the room that the device equips or fixed to a Wall.