EP3602783A1

EP3602783A1 - A switch maneuvering device for a door operator

Info

Publication number: EP3602783A1
Application number: EP18713854.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefan Paulsson
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Entrance Systems AB
Current assignee: Assa Abloy Entrance Systems AB
Priority date: 2017-03-23
Filing date: 2018-03-22
Publication date: 2020-02-05
Also published as: CN110392981A; WO2018172440A1; CN110392981B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a maneuvering switch device (100) for a door operator, comprising: an input terminal (102), configured to be connected to an alternating current source (106), and connected to an electronic circuit (101); an output terminal (103) connected to the electronic circuit; a first switch (104) connected to the electronic circuit; a second switch (105) connected to the electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is configured to provide a first signal to the output terminal with a first duty cycle upon activation of the first switch, wherein the first signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal, which electronic circuit is further configured to provide a second signal to the output terminal with a second duty cycle upon activation of the second switch, wherein the second signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal wherein the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle are different.

Description

A switch maneuvering device for a door operator FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a switch maneuvering device for a door operator and more particularly to a switch maneuvering device that allows transfer of signals from multiple switches on a single wire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A door operator typically comprises a controller and a drive unit. The controller controls the drive unit to move a door between a closed and an open position.

A typical maneuvering device for a door operator comprises switches in a housing with associated cabling connected to a controller of the door operator. From each switch a corresponding wire is routed to the controller of the door operator. If additional switches are needed for extra functions additional cables must be installed. This is both expensive and cumbersome since it usually involves changing the complete cable harness or parts thereof. Therefore, it exist a need to provide a solution in which additional switches can be used without replacing or adding extra cabling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a switch maneuvering device which seeks to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate the above-identified deficiencies in the art and

disadvantages singly or in any combination. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a switch maneuvering device which can transfer signals from multiple switches on a single wire.

In this disclosure, a solution to the problem outlined above is proposed. In the proposed solution, a maneuvering switch device for a door operator, comprises an input terminal , configured to be connected to an alternating current voltage source, and connected to an electronic circuit, an output terminal connected to the electronic circuit, a first switch connected to the electronic circuit, a second switch connected to the electronic circuit, and the electronic circuit is configured to provide a first signal to the output terminal with a first duty cycle upon activation of the first switch, wherein the first signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal, which electronic circuit further is configured to provide a second signal to the output terminal with a second duty cycle upon activation of the second switch, wherein the second signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal wherein the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle are different.

By using the switch maneuvering device according to the above a switch maneuvering device is achieved that is capable of transferring signals from multiple switches over a single wire. This has the advantage that additional switches can be added without the need to install additional wires between the switch maneuvering device and the controller.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, these objects are achieved by a switch maneuvering device, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a duty cycle modifier. This way, a simple and efficient means for changing the duty cycle of an AC voltage source is achieved. According to an aspect the duty cycle modifier comprises a rectifier, for example a diode. A diode is a simple and robust example of a rectifier with low losses. This way, the rectifier provides a way to change the duty cycle of an AC voltage by means of half-wave rectifying the AC voltage.

According to an aspect, the duty cycle modifier comprises a device with a predetermined voltage drop. The device with a predetermined voltage drop may be a Zener diode. The device with a predetermined voltage drop is preferably a device with a voltage drop that is almost independent on the current flowing through the device.

According to an aspect, the first switch and the second switch are normally open switches, the electronic circuit comprises a primary branch and a secondary branch connected in parallel between the input terminal and the output terminal, the primary branch comprises the first switch and the duty cycle modifier, and the secondary branch comprises the second switch. This way additional normally open switches may be connected in additional branches connected in parallel with the primary and secondary branches each additional branch comprises a duty cycle modifier with a different forward voltage drop, which will provide an associated duty cycle to the switch. Thus, this aspect provides a simple and efficient way to add normally open switches without having to extend the number of wires.

According to an aspect, the first switch and the second switch are normally closed switches, the electronic circuit comprises a branch connected between the input terminal and the output terminal, the branch comprises the first switch and the second switch connected in series, the duty cycle modifier being connected in parallel with the first switch, and a rectifier diode being connected in parallel with the second switch. This way signals from multiple normally open switches may be transferred over a single wire. This way, additional normally closed switches may be added to the branch, wherein each additional switch has a corresponding duty cycle modifier arranged in parallel.

Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a/an/the [element, device, component, means, etc.]" are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, by the term "comprising" it is meant "comprising but not limited to" throughout the application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of the example embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the example embodiments.

Figure 1 discloses a schematic circuit diagram of a maneuvering switch device.

Figure 2 discloses a schematic circuit diagram of a duty cycle modifier according to an aspect of the present invention.

Figure 3 discloses a schematic circuit diagram of a duty cycle modifier according to an aspect of the present invention. Figure 4 discloses a schematic circuit diagram of a maneuvering switch device with normally open switches according to an aspect of the present invention.

Figure 5 discloses a schematic circuit diagram of a maneuvering switch device with normally closed switches according to an aspect of the present invention. Figure 6 discloses a schematic block diagram of a door operator system with a maneuvering switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures. The circuits disclosed herein can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the aspects set forth herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects of the disclosure only, and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The present invention relates to a maneuvering switch device commonly used for maneuvering a door operator. The door operator comprises a controller and a drive unit. The controller is configured to maneuver the drive unit to move a door between an open position and a closed position, and sometimes also to a position there between. More specifically, the invention relates to a maneuvering switch device for a door operator that is capable of transferring information from multiple switches over a single wire.

The present inventors have realized that it is possible to transfer information from multiple switches of a maneuvering switch device to a controller on a single wire, by means of manipulating a duty cycle of an AC voltage signal by means of the maneuvering switch device. This manipulation is performed by having a rectifier with a predetermined forward voltage drop, this means that only the part of the AC voltage signal that has an amplitude over the forward voltage drop will be transferred and thereby the duty cycle of the signal will be dependent on the forward voltage drop. This allows several switches with rectifiers with different forward voltage drop to share the same wire. Thus, the controller is able to determine which switch that is activated by measuring the duty cycle of the incoming AC signal to the controller.

In FIG. 1 an embodiment of a maneuvering switch device, generally designated 100, is disclosed. The maneuvering switch device 100 comprises an input terminal 102, configured to be connected to an alternating current (AC) voltage source 106. The input terminal is connected to an electronic circuit 101. The electronic circuit 101 is connected to an output terminal 103, to a first switch 104, and to a second switch 105. The electronic circuit is configured to provide a first signal to the output terminal with a first duty cycle upon activation of the first switch, wherein the first signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal, which electronic circuit is further configured to provide a second signal to the output terminal with a second duty cycle upon activation of the second switch, wherein the second signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal wherein the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle are different. In FIG. 2 a schematic drawing of an embodiment of a duty cycle modifier is shown, the duty cycle modifier is generally designated 201. The duty cycle modifier is configured to modify the duty cycle of the incoming AC signal, and comprises a rectifier 202 and a device with a predetermined voltage drop 203. An example embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the rectifier 202 is a diode 302, and the device with a predetermined voltage drop 203 is a Zener diode 303.

If the rectifier is a diode and the device with a predetermined voltage drop is a single wire then the duty cycle will be approximately 50%, due to the half-wave rectifying.

Now with reference made to FIG. 4 an embodiment of a maneuvering switch device 400 which uses normally open switches will be described. The AC voltage source 106 is connected to the input terminal 102. Between the input terminal 102 and an output terminal 103 are three branches connected in parallel. A primary branch 401, coupled between the input terminal 102 and the output terminal 103, comprises a duty cycle modifier 201, which comprises a diode 301 and a Zener diode 302, connected in series with a first switch 104. A secondary branch 402, coupled between the input terminal 102 and the output terminal 103, comprises a second switch 105. And finally an alternative branch 403, coupled between the input terminal 102 and the output terminal 103, comprises a diode 405 and a further switch 404.

In use, the circuit disclosed with reference made to FIG. 4 will have the following function. Assume that the AC voltage source 106 provides a sinusoidal voltage with +-12 V peak-to- peak, and the diode 301 and the diode 405 are assumed to be diodes with 0.5V forward voltage drop. The Zener diode 302 has a Zener voltage of 6 V i.e. voltage drop. Upon activation of the further switch 404, a signal with approximately 50% duty cycle will be present at the output terminal 103. Upon activation of the second switch 105 a signal with a very small (less than 10%) duty-cycle will be present at the output terminal i.e. the full sinusoidal signal will be provided at the output terminal 103. And finally, upon activation of the first switch 104 a signal with approximately 30% duty-cycle will be provided at the output terminal.

In FIG. 5 an embodiment of a maneuvering switch device 500 which uses normally closed switches is described. The AC voltage source 106 is connected to the input terminal 102. Between the input terminal 102 and the output terminal 103 is a single branch 504 connected. The single branch comprises a first normally closed switch 501, and a second normally closed switch 502 connected in series. In parallel with the first normally closed switch 501 a duty cycle modifier 201 is connected, the duty cycle modifier 201 comprises a diode 301 connected in series with a Zener diode 302. Furthermore, a diode 503 is connected in parallel with the second normally closed switch 502.

In use, the circuit disclosed with reference made to FIG. 5 will have the following function. Assume that the AC voltage source 106 provides a sinusoidal voltage with +-12 V peak-to- peak, and the diode 301 and the diode 503 are assumed to be diodes with 0.5V forward voltage drop. The Zener diode 302 has a Zener voltage of 6 V i.e. voltage drop. Upon activation of the first normally closed switch 501 a signal with 30% duty-cycle will be provided at the output terminal 103. Upon activation of the second normally closed switch 502 a signal with 50% duty cycle will be provided at the output terminal 103. Thereby, signals from two normally closed switches are transferred on a single wire.

In FIG. 6 an embodiment of a door operator system, generally designated 600, is disclosed. The door operator system 600 comprises a maneuvering switch device 100 according to embodiments disclosed above, and a door operator 601 comprising a controller 602 and a drive unit 603. The drive unit 603 is configured to move a door 604 between an open position, and a closed position. The controller 602 is connected to the maneuvering switch device 101 with a single wire 604 (a ground connection may also be necessary). In this example the first switch 104 is configured to maneuver the door 604 to the open position, and the second switch 105 is configured to maneuver the door 604 to the closed position. The present invention provides a possibility to provide this functionality over the single wire 604. The single wire 604 may be connected directly to an input port of the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine the duty cycle of the signal. Another solution is to have an analogue circuit in the controller that determines the duty cycle with for example an integrating circuit and provides a DC signal that is used in the controller. In order to provide isolation an opto coupler may be used for transferring the signal to the controller.

The AC signal in the embodiments disclosed above is a sinusoidal signal, but other waveforms may be suitable such as a triangular wave, the important thing is to have a defined rise and fall time of the wave. Accordingly, a square wave will not be suitable to use in this embodiment.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, a

maneuvering switch device may comprise of more than two switches, arranged in the same way as discussed above.

The description of the aspects of the disclosure provided herein has been presented for purposes of illustration. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit aspects of the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various alternatives to the provided aspects of the disclosure. The examples discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various aspects of the disclosure and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the aspects of the disclosure in various manners and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The features of the aspects of the disclosure described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and computer program products. It should be appreciated that the aspects of the disclosure presented herein may be practiced in any combination with each other. It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed. It should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A maneuvering switch device (100) for a door operator, comprising:

an input terminal (102), configured to be connected to an alternating current source (106), and connected to an electronic circuit (101);

an output terminal (103) connected to the electronic circuit;

a first switch (104) connected to the electronic circuit;

a second switch (105) connected to the electronic circuit; and

characterized in that the electronic circuit is configured to provide a first signal to the output terminal with a first duty cycle upon activation of the first switch, wherein the first signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal, which electronic circuit is further configured to provide a second signal to the output terminal with a second duty cycle upon activation of the second switch, wherein the second signal is based on the alternating current voltage at the input terminal wherein the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle are different.

2. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit (101) comprises a duty cycle modifier (201).

3. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 2, wherein the duty cycle modifier (201) comprises a rectifier (202).

4. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 3, wherein the rectifier (202) is a diode (302).

5. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the duty cycle modifier (201) comprises a device with a predetermined voltage drop (203).

6. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 5, wherein the device with a

predetermined voltage drop (203) is a Zener diode (303).

7. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first switch (104) and the second switch (105) are normally open switches, the electronic circuit (400) comprises a primary branch (401) and a secondary branch (402) connected in parallel between the input terminal (102) and the output terminal (103), the primary branch comprises the first switch (104) and the duty cycle modifier (201), and the secondary branch (402) comprises the second switch (105).

8. A maneuvering switch device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first switch (501) and the second switch (502) are normally closed switches, the electronic circuit (500) comprises a branch (504) connected between the input terminal (102) and the output terminal (103), the branch comprises the first switch (501) and the second switch (502) connected in series, the duty cycle modifier (201) being connected in parallel with the first switch (501), and a rectifier diode (503) being connected in parallel with the second switch.