FI3699377T3

FI3699377T3 - Coupling mechanism for mechatronic locking system

Info

Publication number: FI3699377T3
Application number: FIEP20155829.3T
Authority: FI
Inventors: Gernot Hartmann
Original assignee: Winkhaus Fa August
Priority date: 2019-02-22
Filing date: 2020-02-06
Publication date: 2023-09-05
Also published as: EP3699377B1; PL3699377T3; ES2954886T3; DE102019202437A1; EP3699377A1

Description

1 EP3 699 377

COUPLING MECHANISM FOR MECHATRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM

Description

The invention relates to a coupling mechanism for a mechatronic locking system, comprising - an inner coupling part which is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation, - an outer coupling part which is rotatably mounted relative to the inner coupling part, - a coupling ring which surrounds the coupling parts, - a coupling element which is movement-coupled to the coupling ring and to which both coupling parts can be coupled, - a drive which is designed to move the coupling ring from a first position into a second position and from the second position into the first position, and - a housing for receiving the components, - the coupling ring and the coupling element being movable by the drive along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Coupling mechanisms for mechatronic locking systems enable an opening, for example a door, to be opened after a positive authentication of a user. After positive authentication, the opening can take place by actuating a conventional actuating handle, it being possible for the actuating movement to be transmitted as a rotary movement via a square to the inner coupling part. The authentication can take place, for example, by detecting a code in the form of a key, a card, by means of a biometric detection unit or by a combination of a plurality of authentication types. A panic function, with which opening is always possible from the inside of the door, can also be implemented since the coupling mechanism preferably only couples or uncouples the actuating handle on the outside of a door with the locking actuation, and the actuating handle remains disregarded thereby on the inside of the door.

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Such a coupling mechanism is known from DE 20 2005 021 315 U1. In the known coupling device, a coupling ring for uncoupling the coupling parts is displaced against a spring force in the direction of the axis of rotation. In this structure, an increased overall height in the direction of the axis of rotation is required. Since these mechatronic locking systems are preferably provided for mounting on a door leaf, a flatter, compact design is desirable. The multi-part structure of the resilient transmission rods for the transmission of the force flow from the motor is complex and requires a large installation space due to the almost perpendicular orientation of the transmission rods protruding from the axis of rotation.

WO 2004 099 537 A1 discloses a lock for a door comprising an actuating means for actuating a latch, and a securing device for securing a locking position of the latch, the locking position comprising a coupling element for establishing or interrupting a coupling between the actuating means and the latch. The coupling element can be activated independently of the position of the actuating device. For this purpose, a motor-displaceable annular spring element receives an outer coupling part and encloses an inner coupling part.

WO 2020 055 851 A1, not previously published, discloses an electronic locking device in which an outer, annular coupling part can be coupled to an inner coupling part by a pin that is displaceable in the longitudinal direction in a motorized manner.

EP 2431 557 A1 discloses a coupling mechanism in which a motor-driven spindle moves a torsion spring, movable about an axis of rotation, for driving a coupling slide. In the case of the almost perpendicular orientation, relative to one another, of the transmission rods of the torsion spring protruding from the axis of rotation, a large installation space is required since an offset of the arrangement of the motor with respect to the longitudinal extension of the coupling slide is necessary.

Furthermore, EP 3 272 976 A1 discloses a coupling mechanism for a mechatronic locking system, in which a motor drives, via a gear wheel mechanism, a spring control for a coupling intermediate piece, on which a coupling element is positively guided and is arranged so as to be pivotable on both sides, since the coupling intermediate piece has arcuate sliding rails, extending on both sides, for the coupling element. These arcuate sliding rails are

3 EP3 699 377 arranged outside an outer coupling part and therefore require a large installation space for a functionally reliable design. Since the motor/gear unit is arranged offset to the coupling parts, this structure also precludes a compact design.

EP 1 881 135 A1 discloses a coupling mechanism in which a rocker is arranged between a motor and a locking element. The rocker is pivotably mounted and is preloaded by a spring element. The rocker rests, with a free end, against a stop.

The motorized movement of the locking element against the spring force requires a high expenditure of force. This requires a different design of the components and an increased energy consumption.

It is the object of the invention to develop a coupling mechanism for a mechatronic locking system that is as compact as possible and at the same time functionally reliable and smooth-running.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the coupling ring is guided in a circumferential groove on the outer coupling part. Due to the closed shape of the coupling ring, this structural unit is constructed in a particularly stable manner. The exclusive movability of the coupling ring and of the coupling element along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation enables a very flat design of the coupling mechanism. This makes it possible to use a very flat housing which protrudes only slightly from a door leaf, so that the actuating handle protruding from the housing is not spaced apart from the door leaf to a significant extent. Since the coupling ring is guided in a circumferential groove on the outer coupling part, the structure is particularly stable and secure. This ensures a very stable, largely circumferential, guidance. A movement of the coupling ring out of the guide is precluded by the annular structure.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the structure is particularly simple and compact if the coupling element is a separate component and is movably guided in the outer coupling part on the plane of the coupling ring along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and, in the first position, does not protrude with either end from the guide in the outer coupling part and, in the second position, is arranged for movement coupling between the inner and the outer coupling part. In this case, the first position is the uncoupled position, in which the

4 EP3 699 377 two coupling parts are not rotationally connected to one another, and the second position is the coupled position, in which the coupling element connects the two coupling parts to one another. Since the coupling element is a separate component, it can be arranged so as to be rotatable relative to the coupling ring, so that the coupling element is movable into the first and the second position even in a rotational position of the two coupling parts, for example when the actuating handle is pressed. The movement of the coupling element takes place in one direction through the sliding movement of the coupling ring and can take place in the other direction by gravity, for example. A supporting spring force is therefore not required.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the structure of the coupling mechanism is particularly compact and simple if the coupling element is arranged on the inside of the coupling ring that faces the drive. When the drive is arranged below the coupling parts, the coupling element can thus be displaced by the drive, against gravity, into the second, coupled position and moves automatically back into the first, uncoupled position after the drive has been moved back. The structure is designed particularly simply if, in the extension of the end of the coupling element pointing toward the center of the coupling ring, first an intermediate pin and then a control pin are arranged in a longitudinally displaceably guided manner, the length of the intermediate pin corresponding to the diameter of the inner coupling part and the length of the control pin corresponding to the ring thickness of the outer coupling part, the combined length of the coupling element, the intermediate pin and the control pin corresponding to the inner diameter of the coupling ring in a movement region.

Thus, a displacement of the coupling ring always causes a displacement of the coupling element, regardless of the direction in which the coupling ring is displaced. Further actuators, such as a further motor drive or an additional spring, can be omitted, and therefore the structure is particularly compact and simple. The drive can also be dimensioned correspondingly smaller since it does not have to operate against a spring force in order to pretension the spring for storing the force for the return movement.

The coupling mechanism is also particularly simply and reliably structured if stops for the coupling element are provided at the ends of the movement region. The stops are arranged on the inside of the coupling ring and limit the movement

EP3 699 377 region of the actuating handle in a simple manner. As a result of the arrangement of the stops at both ends of the movement region, a use for left-hinged and right- hinged doors is possible, and the actuating handle, as required in certain applications, can also be pulled upward from the horizontal position. 5 According to a next advantageous development, the correct functioning is additionally ensured if the coupling ring has a guide part directed outward along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation, which guide part is displaceably guided in the housing surrounding the coupling mechanism.

As a result, a rotation of the coupling ring in the circumferential groove on the outer coupling part is reliably prevented, and only a pure sliding movement is made possible.

The structure is furthermore particularly simple and compact if the guide part has a coupling device comprising the drive. The guide part thus not only guides the coupling ring in the desired sliding movement but at the same time fulfills, with the coupling device, the function of the link for force transmission from the drive to the sliding movement of the coupling ring. The coupling device can be a simple bore for a leg end of a spring wire, the diameter of the through-hole ideally tapering toward the hole center from both sides in order to achieve better guidance for the leg end and to reduce friction.

The assembly of the coupling mechanism is particularly simple if the coupling ring is designed in two parts and the two parts can be coupled in a form-fitting manner. In this case, the one part of the coupling ring is inserted into the circumferential groove, and the other part of the coupling ring can ideally be fed via a wall of the groove, which is less high in one portion, and can be coupled to the other part. The coupling ideally takes place by corresponding form-fitting elements at the ends of both parts, which join together when the other part of the coupling ring is fed in.

After the release of the inner coupling part relative to the outer coupling part, the rotation relative to one another is particularly simple if the ends of the coupling element, of the intermediate pin and of the control pin are at least partially chamfered or rounded. The machined edges ensure smooth-running and reliable actuation of the coupling mechanism.

6 EP3 699 377

The coupling mechanism can be particularly compact if the drive, which moves the coupling ring from a first position into a second position and from the second position into the first position, consists of a motor and a transmission, the transmission transmitting the movement to the guide part via a helical worm and a pivotably mounted, single-piece spring wire with one leg end remote from the pivot axis in each case. In particular by means of the spring wire, the movement can be transmitted simply and directly or in a deflected manner. The spring wire can absorb load peaks by slight deformation. This leads to relief of all further components. The housing part for the drive can be designed to be narrower than the housing part for the coupling parts. The motor is ideally an electric motor.

The drive of the coupling mechanism is very compact if the angle between the leg ends, starting from the pivot axis, is less than 75°. As a result, the helical worm can be positioned very close to the coupling device. In this case, the motor and the worm are arranged in parallel above one another and above the guide part, and transversely to the displacement direction of the guide part.

The invention permits several embodiments. For further clarification of its basic principle, one of said embodiments is shown in the drawings and is described below. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a coupling mechanism according to the invention with an open housing

Fig. 2 — shows the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 1 without a housing, a square bolt and an inner coupling part

Fig. 3 — shows the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 2 without a drive, in a rotated position

Fig. 4 shows the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 3 without the outer coupling part

Fig. 5 — shows the outer coupling part according to the invention from Fig. 3 in a further rotated position

7 EP3 699 377

Fig. 1 shows a coupling mechanism according to the invention with an open housing 8. By omitting the housing cover, the individual components are clearly visible. The coupling mechanism is usually mounted on a door leaf. A drive 6 is arranged in the upper part of the housing 8. A horizontally installed motor 16 transmits the movement via a transmission 17 to a coupling ring 4. The transmission 17 consists of gear wheels which connect the motor 16 to a helical worm 18 arranged in parallel below. A leg end 20 of a spring wire 19 rotatably mounted about a pivot axis 21 is guided in the worm thread. As a result of the rotational movement of the spring wire 19, a guide part 9 that is movement-coupled to the coupling ring 4 is moved in a displaceable manner in the vertical direction. The coupling ring 4 surrounds an inner coupling part 1 and an outer coupling part 3, the coupling parts 1, 3 being arranged so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation 2 and each having a square receptacle for a connecting square for connection to an actuating handle (not shown) of a door, or the like. In this case, the inner coupling part 1 is preferably provided for the actuating handle arranged on the outside of the door since this side is usually designed such that it can be decoupled from the actuation of the door lock in order to protect against unauthorized access. This is brought about by the coupling mechanism according to the invention.

All components of the drive 6 are fastened directly in a housing 8 or are located at least partially as a structural unit on a plate (not shown) which can be inserted into the housing 8.

Fig. 2 shows, for clarification, the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 1 without a housing 8, square bolt and inner coupling part 1. The compact structure of the drive 6, comprising the horizontally installed motor 16, the helical worm 18 arranged in parallel below thereto, and the spring wire 19, is clearly visible. The leg end 22 of the spring wire 19 rotatably mounted about the pivot axis 21 engages in a coupling device 10 in the guide part 9. The coupling device 10 can be a simple through-hole, the diameter of the through-hole ideally tapering toward the hole center from both sides in order to achieve better guidance for a leg end 22 and to reduce friction. The coupling ring 4 moved by the guide part 9 is received in the outer coupling part 3 rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation 2 and controls a coupling element 5 and an intermediate pin 11 arranged in the further longitudinal extension thereof.

8 EP3 699 377

Fig. 3 shows the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 2 without a drive in a rotated position. As a result of the rotation, the groove 7 in the outer coupling part 3 is visible, the lower part of the groove having a recessed region 24 for the assembly of the two-part coupling ring 4. During assembly, the upper part of the coupling ring 4 can simply be inserted from the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 2. The recessed region 24 has a lower height on one side of the wall of a groove 7 so that the diameter of the outer coupling part 3 is smaller in this recessed region 24.

Fig. 4 shows the coupling mechanism according to the invention from Fig. 3, without the outer coupling part 3. The two-part coupling ring 4 includes the components of coupling element 5, intermediate pin 11 and a control pin 12 arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal extension. These three components have a common length which corresponds to the inner diameter of the coupling ring 4 in the movement region 13 for the coupling element 5. The movement region 13 is limited on both sides by stops 14, 15 for the coupling element 5. Due to the two-part division of the coupling ring 4, the lower part of the coupling ring 4 can be inserted for easy assembly from the direction of the axis of rotation 2 into the form-fitting surfaces 23 corresponding to the upper part of the coupling ring 4.

Fig. 5 shows the outer coupling part 3 according to the invention from Fig. 3 in a further rotated position. The circumferential groove 7 comprising the recessed region 24, which extends approximately over half the circumference of the groove 7, is visible.

Claims

1 EP3 699 377 MECHATRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM CONNECTION MECHANISM PATENT CLAIMS

1. The coupling mechanism of a mechatronic locking system, which has - an inner coupling part (1) which is mounted for rotation around the axis of rotation (2), - an outer coupling part (3) which is mounted for rotation with respect to the inner coupling part (1), - a coupling ring (4) which surrounds the coupling parts (1, 3), - a coupling element (5) movably connected to the coupling ring (4), to which both coupling parts (1, 3) can be connected, - an operating device (6) adapted to move the coupling ring (4) from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position, and - the housing (8) for receiving the components, - whereby the coupling ring (4) and the coupling element (5) can be moved by the drive device (6) along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation (2), characterized by the fact that the coupling ring (4) is moved to the circumferential groove (7) in the outer coupling part (3).

2. The coupling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that — the coupling element (5) is a separate component and it is moved to the outer coupling part (3) in the plane of the coupling ring (4) along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation (2) and does not protrude from either end in the first position from the controller in the outer coupling part (3) and is arranged in the second position for motion coupling between the inner and outer coupling parts (1, 3).

3. The coupling mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the coupling element (5) is arranged on the inside of the coupling ring (4) pointing towards the operating device.

2 EP3 699 377

4. A coupling mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that an intermediate pin (11) and then a guide pin (12) are arranged in the extension of the end of the coupling element (5) pointing towards the center of the coupling ring (4) so that they can be moved longitudinally, whereby the length of the intermediate pin (11) corresponds to the diameter of the inner coupling part (1) and the length of the guide pin (12) corresponds to the ring strength of the outer coupling part (3), whereby the total length of the coupling element (5), intermediate pin (11) and guide pin (12) corresponds to the inner diameter of the coupling ring (4) in the range of motion (13).

5. The switching mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that responses (14, 15) for the switching element (5) are provided at the ends of the movement range (13).

6. A coupling mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling ring (4) has a control part (9) directed outwards along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation (2), which is movably placed in the housing (8) surrounding the coupling mechanism.

7. A switching mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the control part (9) has a switching device (10) equipped with an operating device (6).

8. A coupling mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling ring (4) is formed in two parts and both parts can be connected form-lockingly.

9. The coupling mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that the ends of the coupling element (5), intermediate pin (11) and control pin (12) are at least partially beveled or rounded.

10. A coupling mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive device (6), which moves the coupling ring (4) from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position, consists of a motor (16) and a gearbox (17), whereby the gearbox (17) moves by means of a spiral screw (18) and a one-piece spring wire (19) installed to turn around the pivot shaft (21) in the movement control part (9), which in each case has branch ends (20, 22) remote from the pivot shaft (21).

3 EP3 699 377

11. The coupling mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that the angle between the branch ends (20, 22) starting from the pivot axis (21) is smaller than 75°.