EP2626495A1

EP2626495A1 - Closure arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP2626495A1
Application number: EP12000875.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fredrik Johansson; Mårten JOHANSSON
Original assignee: Ergosafe AB
Current assignee: Ergosafe AB
Priority date: 2012-02-10
Filing date: 2012-02-10
Publication date: 2013-08-14

Abstract

A closure arrangement for an opening in a building includes a number of closure elements (2, 3). At least one of the closure elements (2, 3) is vertically movable by means of operating arms (18). The operating arms (18) are powered by a driving device, which includes at least one drive motor (10). On either side of the closure arrangement, the driving device includes an upright screw (12) which is mounted in an axial bearing (15). Each screw (12) has a nut (14), and the operating arms (18) have abutment faces (17) which rest on the nuts (14). Couplings (16) couple the abutment faces (17) and the nuts (14) with a play for permitting an angular discrepancy between each abutment face (17) and the longitudinal axis of the respective screw (12) as well as transversal movements thereof.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a closure arrangement for an opening in a building, including a number of closure elements, wherein at least one of the closure elements is vertically movable by means of operating arms, which are powered by a driving device, including at least one drive motor.

BACKGROUND ART

Numerous constructions for sliding doors, which move in a horizontal direction, are known. However, the problems faced during the construction of such arrangements, are different from constructions with vertically moving doors or windows. For instance, the weight of the sliding doors is transversal to the direction of motion of the doors, and thus it need not be supported by the device that causes the motion. Hence the device causing the motion only has to produce the force needed to move the doors, which in most cases is considerably less than the gravitational force acting on the doors.
Vertically movable windows, sometimes known as sash windows, need a motion device which does not only take into account forces from friction etc. during the motion, but also has to support and overcome the weight of the window. This fact places considerably different restrictions on the constructions.
Some vertically movable window constructions are known. In large parts of the world, the predominant window construction in homes and offices is the sash window. Sash window constructions may also find a use in laboratories, pick-up windows at fast food restaurants etc. The common denominator for these uses is that the windows are relatively small and their weight is limited. In many cases they are lifted manually.
In order to keep the vertically movable window sections in their vertical positions, and to make the lifting and lowering thereof easier, most of these constructions include counterweights and cables or chains. In some cases the counterweights are replaced by springs which supply the needed balancing force.
If the windows are very large, the counterweights also have to be considerable, and the resulting construction will be very heavy and difficult to maneuver. It would be very complicated to include such a window into a building construction, and usually another solution is chosen for large doors or windows.
In addition to the weight issue, there are other demands placed on vertically movable window or door sections. One example is that the motion of the sections has to stop if the resistance to the motion is too great, i.e. e. if someone is about to become injured by the moving window section by blocking its path.
Another demand is that doors and windows are often subject to differences in temperature between the inside and the outside. This means extensions and contractions in the material of all parts of door or window in proportion to the size thereof. As the door or window is large, the extensions in absolute measurements could be quite large, and hence there is a risk of undesired displacements and entailing failure of the mechanisms for moving the door or window sections. There is also the risk that the safety features mentioned previously enter into action, due to resistance to the motion caused by extensions or contractions in the material of the door or window.
Maneuvering a vertically movable door or window is thus difficult, regardless of whether it is a manual or motorized system. A motorized system will eliminate the need for manual force, but most of the handling and control issues remain.
Finally, and regardless of the handling issues, the aesthetic aspect has to be taken into account. A large door or window which opens vertically would need a large frame, which could be a disadvantage from an aesthetic point of view.
Still, there could be a great demand for large windows and doors with vertically movable sections, provided that the constructional and handling issues could be resolved. Some uses could be for shop fronts, outdoor sections of restaurants, large shopping centers, sports arenas, entrances to courtyards etc.

PROBLEM STRUCTURE

The object of the present invention is to accomplish a light and compact construction of large vertically opening doors and windows, while maintaining a reliable and safe operation thereof.

SOLUTION

The object forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the closure arrangement mentioned initially is characterized in that the driving device on either lateral side of the closure element includes an upright screw, mounted in an axial bearing, and each screw has a nut, the operating arms have abutment faces, which rest on the nuts by means of couplings, which rotationally couple the abutment faces and the nuts with a play, for permitting an angular discrepancy between each abutment piece and the longitudinal axis of the respective screw as well as transversal movements thereof.
Further advantages will be attained if the closure arrangement includes at least one of the features of claims 2-8.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in greater detail below with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1: is a front view in partial section of a closure arrangement according to the invention;
Fig. 2: is a perspective view in section of a driving device included in the closure arrangement according to the invention;
Fig. 3: a section approximately along the line A-A in Fig 1 but of a second embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 4: a partial view in perspective of the arrangement according to the second embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 5: a detailed view in perspective of an operating arm, a coupling and a nut included in the closure arrangement according to the second embodiment of the invention.
Fig, 6a: a front view of a third embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 6b: a top view of one side of the embodiment according to fig 6a;
Fig. 7a: a view according to fig 6a of the second embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 7b: a view according to fig 6b of the second embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In fig 1 a closure arrangement according to the invention in the form of a large window 1 is disclosed. The window 1 has an upper window section 2 and a lower window section 3. In the embodiment shown in fig 1, the lower window section 3 is movable in the vertical direction. The window sections 2, 3 are arranged in approximately parallel planes, a small distance apart, so that the window sections 2, 3 will overlap without an undue gap between them when the lower window section 3 is raised.
Around the window 1 there is a frame 4, which includes an upper frame portion 5, a lower frame portion 6 and lateral frame portions 7, 8. For weight reasons, the ease of construction, as well as for aesthetic reasons, it is desirable to make the frame 4 as slender as possible, particularly in a view as seen in fig 1. The lateral frame portions 7, 8 include guiding elements 9 (see fig 3 and fig 4), to enable the movable window section 3 to move upwards and downwards securely in an upright position.
In the lateral frame portions 7, 8, approximately in the same planes with the respective guiding elements 9, a driving device 10 is arranged on either side of the window, for raising and lowering the movable window section 3. Each driving device 10 includes a motor 11, which is an electric DC motor in the preferred embodiment. The motors 11 are controlled by one single control system, in order to obtain a coordinated operation thereof.
A threaded rod or a screw 12 is connected to each of the motors 11. The screw is arranged to hang rotatable from the upper part of the frame 4 in an axial bearing 13. Another axial bearing is arranged on each side on a lower level, closer to the motor 11. The threading of the screw 12 is self-braking, so that a nut 14 mounted thereon will remain in its position if the screw 12 is not rotating. Hence the window section 3, which is raised and lowered with the aid of the nuts 14, will remain in its position when the motors 11 are not running, and the screws 12 are not rotating. The self-braking effect is obtained if the pitch of the screw 12 is between 1 ° and 8°.
Each driving device 10 is able to raise and lower the window section 3 in coordination with its counterpart. The window section 3 can also be stopped in any chosen position, wherein it will remain until a further movement is desired. Further, an emergency stop, in order to eliminate accidents with injuries to people or damages to the equipment itself or other objects, is implemented.
The reliable operation and the safety features are obtained by the control system, which senses the rotary position of the motors 11, and hereby the rotary position of the screws 12. By comparing the rotary positions of the two motors 11 and the screws 12, the control system obtains the relative positions of the motors 11. In order to obtain a simultaneous movement, the control system may stop one of the motors 11 momentarily, thus allowing the other motor 11 to catch up with the first one. As an alternative, the current to one of the motors 11 may be incrcased temporarily, allowing this motor 11 and its screw 12 to rotate faster, and thereby catch up with the other motor 11. Hereby the moving window section 3 runs smoothly up and down and is kept from jamming against the lateral frame sections 7, 8. In the preferred embodiment, the rotary positions of the motors 11 are sensed six times per revolution.
However, if an undue current level is needed to keep the motors 11 running at the intended speed, this is interpreted as something or someone blocking the path of the moving window section 3. For this reason the motors 11 will stop if a predetermined current level is exceeded, thereby preventing accidents. Depending on the circumstances of use and the prevailing legal regulations, the safety features could also include other sensors, e.g. with light beams, which are connected with the control system.
In fig 2 the elements of the driving device 10 are shown in greater detail. The axial bearing 15 keeps the screw 12 in an approximately vertical position, but will allow for extensions or contractions thereof due to varying temperatures. The nut 14 will move upwards or downwards depending on the direction of rotation of the screw 12. The nut 14 is connected by means of a coupling 16 to an abutment face 17 on an operating arm 18. The operating arm 18 is in its turn fastened to an outer rim of the movable window element 3 by any suitable means, such as screws, rivets etc.
The coupling 16, which mutually connects the operating arm 18 with the nut 14, allows for a rotation of the nut 14, while the abutment face 17 and the operating arm 18 perform a translational motion along the axis of the screw 12. Also the coupling 16 does not require the abutment face 17 to be entirely parallel with the upper surface of the nut 14, or entirely perpendicular to the axis of the screw 12. Instead, there may be a discrepancy of several degrees. Further, the coupling 16 has a play in the axial direction, which means that the distance between the abutment face 17 and the nut 14 may vary with an amount of several millimeters, while the function of the coupling 16 is maintained.
As mentioned previously, there will be temperature depending extensions and contractions in the construction materials in the closure arrangement 1 according to the invention during its use. The materials may include glass, plastics and metals, such as steel or aluminum, and their reactions to temperature variations are different. For large constructions, the variations in size for some of its components are significant. Also different parts of the construction may be subject to different temperatures, depending on the indoor and outdoor temperatures, varying shade conditions, etc. The varying reactions to the temperature conditions result in unpredictable relative positions of the nut 14 and the operating arm 18 with its abutment face 17, and this problem increases with a large closure arrangement.
The permissive nature of the coupling 16 will allow for varying distances between the operating arm 18 and the nut 14, regardless of whether this is due to temperature variations or minor deficiencies in the manufacture or mounting. Angular discrepancies which may arise for the same reasons are also permitted while the function of the driving device 10 is maintained. Further, slight differences in the manufacture of the motors 11 and their function, with the same consequences, are leveled out in the couplings 16. Hence the couplings 16 will make a significant contribution to the function of the driving device 10 and the closure arrangement 1 as a whole.
The operating arm 18 extends between the driving device 10 and the window section 3, thus transferring the motion of the driving device to the window section 3. In order to allow a compact construction of the lateral frame portions 7, 8, the arm 18 extends through a longitudinal slit 19 (see fig 3 and fig 4) in the frame portions 7, 8 between the guiding elements 9. The slit 19 has a longitudinal shape, and extends along the intended motion path of the respective window section 2, 3. Its upper and lower ends are closed for the integrity of the lateral frame 7, 8.
In this way the spaces between the guiding elements 9 are free from parts of the driving device 10, and all the parts of the driving device 10 are arranged neatly inside the lateral frame portions 7, 8, and they are thus protected from all unnecessary influence from the outside and the entailing risks of damages.
Fig 3 shows a slightly different embodiment of the lateral frame portion 7, 8, the driving device 10, and the operating arm 18. In this embodiment the operating arm 18 is bent to form an angle of approximately 90°. Hereby the driving device 10, including the motor 11, the screw 12, the nut 14, the coupling 16, and the abutment face 17 on the operating arm 18 are placed in a side by side relation to the guiding elements 9, resulting in a more narrow lateral frame portion 7, 8. Although the extent of the lateral frame portions 7, 8 in a direction transversal to the plane of the window sections 2,3 is greater, the embodiment according to fig 3 could be preferred, as the visual effect on the outside of a building may be considered more aesthetically pleasing. In many cases the thickness of the walls where the closure arrangement 10 is to be included is so great that the embodiment according to fig 3 will easily accommodated, despite its extension in the direction transversal to the plane of the window sections 2, 3.
For the sake of clarity, fig 4, showing the embodiment according to fig 3 in a perspective view is included. The slits 19 between the guiding elements 9 are also visible in this figure.
In both of fig 3 and fig 4 there are three guiding elements 9, since this embodiment is intended for three different window sections 2, 3a, 3b arranged one above the other in the vertical direction. Raising and lowering more than one window section 3a, 3b is performed in analogy with raising and lowering a single window section 3. A pair of separate nuts 14, operating arms 18 and couplings 16 may be arranged on the screws 12 for each movable window section 3a, 3b, so that they are lifted when the respective nuts 14 make a connection with the respective abutment faces 17 on the operating arms 18. The respective slits 19 extend along the intended motion path for each window section 2,3.
Fig 5 shows the operating arm 18 with the nut 14 and the coupling 16 in a perspective view. The considerable extension of the operating arm 18 in the axial direction serves the purpose of handling great weights, without deformation of the operating arm 18. As can be seen in fig 5, the operating arm 18 may include several assembled parts, although the concept of manufacturing it in an integral part is also envisaged.
Fig 5 also shows with great clarity the coupling 16, which is arranged between the nut 14 and the abutment face 17 on the operating arm 18. The discs 20 in the coupling are provided with cooperating tongues 21 and grooves 22 in order to accommodate for the possible misalignment of the nut 14 and the abutment face 17 as discussed above. The coupling may be an Oldham coupling or any similar coupling obtaining the same effects.
A third embodiment, which combines features from the two previous embodiments, is shown in fig 6a and 6b. This embodiment has two window sections, like the first embodiment and the operating arm 18 is angled, like in the second embodiment. The resulting closure arrangement displays lateral frame portions 7, 8 that are considerably more narrow than in the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2.
In the view from the top in fig 6b, the operating arm 18 is seen extending through the slit 19 in the guiding elements 9, so that the lower window section 3 may be lifted.
In fig 7a the whole of the second embodiment is shown with two window sections 3a, 3b, which are liftable to a position next to the upper window section 2. It should be noted that the lateral frame sections 7, 8 are very narrow.
In the top view of 7b two operating anns 18a, 18b extending from the window sections 3a, 3b, respectively, are visible. When the lower window section 3a has been sufficiently raised, its operating arm 18a will come into contact, from below, with the operating arm 18b, so that the middle window section 36 will be lifted as well. In this variation of the lifting mechanism, there is no need for separate nuts 14 and couplings 16 for the middle window section 3b, as has been described above. Before the middle window section 3b is lifted, it remains in its position by the operating arms 18b on either side resting on the bottom of its respective slit 19 through the guiding elements 9.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Three distinct embodiments of the invention have been disclosed above. It is of course possible to combine features from these embodiments, thereby arriving at other embodiments, such as a closure arrangement 10 with two window sections 2, 3 but an angled operating arm 18. By the same token, another embodiment has three or more window sections 2, 3, but an operating arm 18 which is not angled, i.e. like the one in the embodiment of figures 1 and 2.
The closure arrangement 10 may be used for different purposes, such as windows, entrance doors, and openable walls inside buildings. In many cases the major part of the window sections 2, 3 will be transparent, i.e. manufactured from glass or plastics materials. However, the large surfaces of the door or window sections 2, 3 could also be manufactured from steel, aluminum, other metals, plywood, etc., or combinations thereof, depending on the purpose of the construction where the closure arrangement is included.
The invention may be varied further within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Closure arrangement (1) for an opening in a building, including a number of closure elements (2, 3), wherein at least one of the closure elements is vertically movable by means of operating arms (18), which arc powered by a driving device (10), including at least one drive motor (11) characterised in that the driving device (10) on either side of the closure arrangement (1) includes an upright screw (12), mounted in an axial bearing (13, 15), and each screw (12) has a nut (14), the operating arms (18) have abutment faces(17) which rest on the nuts (14) by means of couplings (16), which rotationally couple the abutment faces (17) and the nuts (14) with a play for permitting an angular discrepancy between each abutment face(17) and the longitudinal axis of the respective screw (12) as well as transversal movements thereof.
Closure arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving device (10) includes one drive motor (11) operatively connected with each upright screw (12) for rotation thereof.
Closure arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that guiding elements (9) are arranged on each lateral side of the closure elements (2, 3).
Closure arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that two or more guiding elements (9) are arranged side by side in a plane transversal to the plane of the closure elements (2, 3), for allowing the closure elements to overlap.
Closure arrangement (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the guiding elements (9) are profiled frame elements.
Closure arrangement (1) according to any of claims 3-5, characterized in that there is at least one slit (19) between the guiding elements, through which slit (9) an operating arm (18) extends between one of the closure elements (2, 3) and the abutment face, respectively.
Closure arrangement (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the screw (12) is arranged in approximately the same plane as the guiding elements.
Closure arrangement (1) according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that the threading of the screw (12) is self-braking.