EP4001571A1

EP4001571A1 - Electric door operator

Info

Publication number: EP4001571A1
Application number: EP20209565.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wang Bing; Chin TECK LIANG FRANCIS
Original assignee: Dormakaba Deutschland GmbH
Current assignee: Dormakaba Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 2020-11-24
Filing date: 2020-11-24
Publication date: 2022-05-25

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electric door operator (100) for operating a leaf (10) of a swing door (11). According to the invention an actuator unit (12) with a plurality of electromagnetic coils (13) set up consecutively for stationary arrangement below or above the swing door (11), and at least one magnet element (14) is arranged on the swing door (11), such that the electromagnetic coils (13) can at least partially be slipped over during a pivoting movement of the leaf (11).

Description

The present invention relates to an electric door operator performed for operating a leaf of a swing door. The present invention also relates to a method for operating an electric door operator for a swing door.

STATE OF THE ART

Many door operators are of high mechanical complexity and comprise of many parts. This leads to high manufacturing and maintenance costs and an unreliability in long term use. A spring in a mechanical door opener loses force over time and can lead to insufficient closing or an inaccurate position of a door. Hydraulic systems for door operators are subject to leakage, difficult to maintain and potentially hazardous.
The US 3 708 915 A discloses an apparatus for operating a hinged swing door with a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent the door. A roller pin is mounted to the door. The pin engages in in a cam slot of a rotor plate forming a moving member of a linear motor. The pin is held in the cam slot by a compression spring. By moving the rotor plate, the pin travels inside a substantially sinusoidal shaped slot and the door swings through a predetermined angle. The motor is de-energized by limit switches when the door is open.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a door operator for operating a leaf of a swing door which is reliable and safe in operation. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a door operator which is inexpensive in maintenance, production and installation. A further objective of the present invention lies in the provision of an aesthetically pleasing swing door without visible elements.
This objective is achieved by an electric door operator as taught by claim 1 of the present invention. Advantageous embodiments of the inventive electric door operator are defined in the subclaims. The objective is also achieved by a method for operating an electric door operator as taught by claim 12. Advantageous steps of the method are defined in the subclaims.
The invention discloses the technical teaching, that an actuator unit with a plurality of electromagnetic coils set up consecutively for stationary arrangement below or above the leaf, and at least one magnet element is arranged on the leaf, whereas the electromagnetic coils can at least partially be slipped over by said magnet element, when the leaf performs a swing movement.
Thus, a door operator without moving parts and without a complex mechanism is realized. Such an electric door operator is very reliable as well as easy and inexpensive in maintenance.
As a preferred embodiment a contactless operative connection is formed between the actuator unit and the at least one magnet element. Thus, the swing door can be operated, opened, closed and positioned without use of mechanical components.
Advantageously, the actuator unit is designed for installation in a floor or under or in a ceiling of a building or a room of a building. By placing the actuator unit in the floor or in the ceiling no additional space or structure is needed to hold the actuator unit. Costs can be saved if a space for the actuator unit is created during construction of the building. For instance, by creating a reduction during casting of concrete for the floor or the ceiling. The integration of the actuator unit in a building structure provides a particularly pleasing aesthetic as no additional visible components are necessary for operating the leaf.
Advantageously, the at least one magnet element is performed to be embedded in a lower region of the leaf, e.g. in the lower 10% or the lower 5% or the lower 3% of the leaf facing to the floor. Embedding the magnet element in the lower region of the leaf has the advantage, that a distance to the electromagnetic coils is small and an air gap is narrow. Thus, the operation of the door operator is efficient. The inventive idea encompasses to locate the magnet elements neighbouring to the electromagnetic coils. If the actuator unit is located in the ceiling, the magnet element may be enclosed in an upper region of the leaf of the swing door.
According to a further embodiment of the invention one actuator unit may be located in a ceiling above the leaf of the swing door and one actuator unit may be located in the floor below the leaf of the swing door. In addition, one magnet element may be arranged in the upper region of the leaf and another magnet element may be arranged in the lower region of the leaf. Thus, a particularly reliable and powerful electric door operator is provided.
According to a further aspect of the invention the actuator unit forms an arc shape. In particular the arc shape may be formed as a segment of a circle, wherein a pivot axis of the swing door forms a centre of the segment of the circle. This arrangement allows to use a magnet segment extending over only a small portion of the leaf of the swing door.
In further embodiment the actuator unit forms a straight unit, where the electromagnetic coils are arranged in a straight line in a consecutive order one after another. Such a straight actuator unit may be particularly inexpensive and easy to manufacture and install.
In its further embodiment the actuator unit comprises a control unit wherein an electric current for the electromagnetic coils can be controlled with the control unit. This allow to control the movement of the swing door precisely for instance by setting current values for respective electromagnetic coils.
In a further aspect of the invention the actuator unit comprises a power distribution unit with which the electromagnetic coils can be supplied with an electric current.
The invention encompasses the idea, that the electromagnetic coils are connected to the power distribution unit via controllable series resistors. Thus, the electric current in the electromagnetic coils and the resulting magnetic field can be adjusted by the resistor connected to the respective electromagnetic coil.
In a further aspect of the invention, the actuator unit forms a structural unit with the electromagnetic coils, the control unit, the power distribution unit, the series resistors and with a current generator for feeding the power distribution unit. This eases installation and initial operation of the door operator as only a single component needs to be handled and installed in an assigned position. The actuator unit may comprise a non-ferromagnetic encasement in which the components are placed. The inventive idea encompasses, that the structural unit of the actuator unit is formed of a selection out of the electromagnetic coils, the control unit, the power distribution unit, the series resistors and the current generator.
The present invention is also embodied in that the electromagnetic coils are designed to be arranged in a neighbouring and consecutive order. This eases the manufacturing of the actuator unit and ensures a smooth and precise movement of the swing door.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention at least one electromagnetic coil is designed to be arranged in the floor or in the ceiling at a position corresponding to the closed position of leaf of the swing door. This allows the swing door to be kept closed by a force caused by the electromagnetic coil on the magnet element in the leaf of the swing door.
The invention is also embodied in a method of operating the electric door operator. The electric current is supplied to the electromagnetic coils in a successive order, in direction of an opening movement or a closing movement. This allows a gradual and controlled movement of the swing door. The invention also comprises the idea, that a direction of a current flow in the electromagnetic coils may be reversed to cause a pulling or a repelling force acting on the magnet element on the leaf of the swing door. Thus, the swing door movement may be realized by pulling and pushing. This also allows for a particularly refined movement and positioning of the swing door.
In a further aspect of the method a haptic intervention on the leaf of the swing door is identified by detection of a change in current intensity in at least one of the electromagnetic coils by the control unit. The invention is also embodied in that on the detection of a haptic intervention an electric current supply to the magnet coils is adapted such that the door is moved into a desired direction or such that the movement of the door is stopped.
Furthermore, a high operational comfort for users is ensured. In addition, the velocity of the movement of the leaf may be adjusted upon a haptic intervention. This increases the safety of operation and reduces the risk of injury to persons passing the swing door.
In a further aspect of the inventive method, the current supply to at least one electromagnetic coil may be changed to adapt a velocity of the movement of the leaf and/or to adapt a force exerted on the magnet element in the leaf. This for instance can ensure the movement of the swing door at a desired velocity or swing rate under for instance a wind load or an increased or decreased resistance to the leaf of the swing door.
In a yet another aspect of the invention, the motor control unit is connected to a sensor unit and/or a switch for receiving a signal. Depending on the signal received, the electric current supplied to the electromagnetic coils may be adjusted. This eases the passage of the swing door.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Additional details, characteristics and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the description and figures of the invention. It shows

Figure 1: in a perspective view an electric door operator with an actuator unit and a swing door with a leaf,
Figure 2: a schematic depiction of an actuator unit and a magnet element,
Figure 3: a sectional top view according to line III - III of Fig.1 depicting the swing door with the leaf, the magnet element and the actuator unit,
Figure 4: in a sectional side view according to line IV - IV in Fig. 3 the leaf and the actuator unit with a plurality of electromagnetic coils.

Figure 1 depicts an electric door operator 100 for a swing door 11 comprising a leaf 10. The leaf 10 is pivotally mounted to a frame 23 of the swing door 11. In a floor 15 arranged is an actuator unit 12. The actuator unit 12 is arranged in an arch shaped rectangular depression in the casted concrete floor 15. A magnet element 14 is arranged on the leaf 10 of the swing door 11 in the region of the floor 15 such that the magnet element 14 can slip over the floor 15 and along the actuator unit 14 during a pivoting movement of the leaf 10 of the swing door 11. The magnet element 14 is a permanent magnet.
Figure 2 shows the electric door operator 100 in a schematic depiction. The actuator unit 12 forms a structural unit comprising of a multiple electromagnetic coils 13, a control unit 16, a power distribution unit 17, a plurality of series resistors 18 and a current generator 19. The current generator 19 and the control unit 16 are supplied with electric power form a power source 31. The current generator 19 is electrically connected to the power distribution unit 17 and feeds an electric current to the power distribution unit 17. The control unit 16 is connected to the power distribution unit 17 for operatively controlling the power distribution unit 17. Each electromagnetic coil 13 is individually electrically connected to the power distribution unit 17 for selectively supplying the electromagnetic coils 13 with the electric current. A respective controllable series resistor 18 is arranged between each of the electromagnetic coils 13 and the power distribution unit 17. An intensity of electric current supplied to the respective electromagnetic coils 13 can be controlled by varying a resistance of a respective series resistor 18 assigned to the respective coil 13. By means of the control unit 16, the power distribution unit 17 and the controllable series resistors 18 electric currents can be selectively supplied to the electromagnetic coils 13. In particular a travelling magnetic field can be established by varying the electric current intensity and by varying the current direction in respective neighbouring electromagnetic coils 13 of the actuator unit 12. The magnet element 14 arranged on the leaf of the swing door aligns to the magnetic field of the electromagnetic coils 13 and thus travels along with the moving magnetic field. Thus, a movement and positioning of the leaf of the swing door can be realized. In the here depicted situation the magnet element 14 is travelling in an open direction 29. The magnet element 14 is repelled by a magnetic field from the electromagnetic coil 13 located in the direction opposite to the closing direction 29 from the magnet element 14. The magnet element 14 is pulled by the magnetic field of the electromagnetic coil 13 located in the closing direction 29 from the magnet element 14. The direction of the electric current flow in the electromagnetic coils 13 to the opposite sides of the magnet element 14 is in the opposite direction.
Figure 3 depicts the electric door operator 100 in a sectional top view along line III - III according to figure 1. The leaf 10 of the swing door 11 is attached to the frame 23 of the swing door 11 and pivotable around a pivot axis 24 such that the leaf 11 swipes over the floor 15 and the actuator unit 12 arranged in the floor 15. The actuator unit 12 is arranged in an encasement 20 made of non-ferromagnetic steel. The electromagnetic coils 13 are arranged in a consecutive order along the arc shaped path equidistant to the pivot axis 24. At one end of the arc a first electromagnetic coil 13 is located at a level of a closed position 25. At an opposite end of the actuator unit a last electromagnetic coil 13 is located in an opened position 26. By function of a linear motor the electromagnetic coils 13 are consecutively supplied with the electric current and a force is exerted on the magnet element 14 in the leaf 10. Thus, the leaf 10 of the swing door 11 is moved or positioned between the opened position 26 and the closed position 25. Additionally, the control unit 16 and the power distribution unit 17 are arranged in the encasement 20 of the actuator unit 12 forming a single component installable in the reduction in the floor 15. The swing door 11 is arranged in a wall 27 of a building. A sensor 21 and a switch 22 are mounted to the wall 27. The sensor 21 and the switch 22 are connected to the control unit 16. Upon an application of the switch 22 or the detection of a person approaching the swing door 11 a signal is transmitted to the control unit 16 and the leaf 10 is moved by the previously described function of a linear motor.
Figure 4 depicts the door operator 100 in a sectional side view according to line IV - IV in figure 3. Integrated in the lower region of the leaf 10 is the magnet element 14. In the reduction in the floor 15 arranged are the electromagnetic coils 13 each with windings 27 wound around tooth 28. Depending on the electric current in the windings 27 of the electromagnetic coils 13 the leaf 10 is moved into the open direction 29 or a close direction 30. When the door is manually moved, a resistance force may be caused by way of electromagnetic induction or by application of a desired current to the electromagnetic coils 13.
The embodiment of the invention is not limited to the preferred exemplary embodiment specified above. Rather, a plurality of variants are conceivable which make use of the solution shown even in the case of fundamentally different designs. All of the features and/or advantages arising from the claims, the description or the drawings, including structural details or physical layout arrangements, can be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

List of Numerals

100: electric door operator
10: leaf
11: swing door
12: actuator unit
13: electromagnetic coil
14: magnetic element
15: floor
16: control unit
17: power distribution unit
18: controllable series resistor
19: current generator
20: encasement
21: sensor
22: switch
23: frame
24: pivot axis
25: closed position
26: open position
27: winding
28: tooth
29: open direction
30: close direction
31: power source

Claims

Electric door operator (100) performed for operating a leaf (10) of a swing door (11),
characterized in that
an actuator unit (12) with a plurality of electromagnetic coils (13) set up consecutively for stationary arrangement below or above the leaf (10), and at least one magnet element (14) is performed for an arrangement on the leaf (10) in such a way that the electromagnetic coils (13) can at least partially be slipped over by said magnet element (14) when the leaf (10) performs a swing movement.
Electric door operator (100) for operating a leaf (10) of a swing door (11),
characterized in that
a contactless operative connection is formed between the actuator unit (12) and the at least one magnet element (14).
Electric door operator (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
the actuator unit (12) is designed for installation in a floor (15) or under or in a ceiling of a building.
Electric door operator (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that
the at least one magnet element (14) is designed to be embedded in a lower region of the leaf (10).
Electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the actuator unit (12) comprises a control unit (16), and wherein an electric current for the plurality of electromagnetic coils (13) can be controlled with the control unit (16).
Electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the actuator unit (12) comprises a power distribution unit (17), which provides an electric current to the electromagnetic coils (13) in a discrete allocation depending on the required movement of the leaf (10).
Electric door operator (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that
the electromagnetic coils (13) are connected to the power distribution unit (17) via controllable series resistors (18).
Electric door operator (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that
the magnetic field of the electromagnetic coils (13) is adjustable by the controllable series resistors (18).
Electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the actuator unit (12) forms a structural unit with the electromagnetic coils (13) and/or the control unit (16) and/or the power distribution unit (17) and/or the variable series resistors (18) and/or with a current generator (19) for feeding the power distribution unit (17).
Electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the electromagnetic coils (13) are arranged in a neighbouring and/or consecutive order.
Electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
at least one electromagnetic coil (13) is performed to be arranged in the floor (15) or in the ceiling at a position corresponding to the closed position (23) of the leaf (10).
Method for operating an electric door operator (100) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
an electric current to the electromagnetic coils (13) is supplied in a successive order, in direction of an opening movement (29) or a closing movement (30).
Method for operating an electric door operator (100) according to claim 12,
characterized in that
a haptic intervention on the leaf (10) of the swing door (11) is identified by detection of a change in current intensity in at least one of the electromagnetic coils (13) by the control unit (16).
Method for operating an electric door operator (100) according to claim 13,
characterized in that
depending on the detection of a haptic intervention an electric current supply to the electromagnetic coils (13) is adapted such that the leaf (10) is moved into an opening direction (29) or a closing direction (30) or such that the movement of the leaf (10) is stopped.
Method for operating an electric door operator (100) according to one of the claims 11 to 14,
characterized in that
the control unit (16) is connected to a sensor (21) and/or a switch (22) and wherein depending on a signal from the sensor (21) and/or the switch (22) an electric current to the electromagnetic coils (13) is adjusted.