FR2720807A1 - Thermal adjuster for gas springs - Google Patents

Abstract

The thermal adjuster for gas springs works in traction or in compression. The device has a diffuser tube of light metal (6) surrounding the body of the gas spring (1). There is a protection tube for the shaft of the piston (2) with play of several millimetres for circulation of hot air. The hot air is produced by a resistor disposed in a torus of ceramic fixed on the removable base of the diffuser tube.

Description

The present invention relates to a thermal regulation device for gas springs ensuring the compensation of manual or motorized overhead doors, or for any other use thereof, in particular in the cold season and in areas where the ambient temperature is below 15 degrees. centigrade.

The reference temperature for calibrating the pressure being between 18 and 20 degrees centigrade, it is necessary to consider a loss of power of 3.4% per 10 degrees of decrease in it, or about 110 'when the ambient temperature is less ten degrees centigrade; this loss of power affects the proper functioning of the doors due to a lack of compensation (which can be of the order of 15 to 40 kilograms, depending on the weight of the doors). This drawback leads to premature wear of the drive motors, and difficulties in manual operation in the event of a power failure, breakdown, etc.

The invention described below overcomes these drawbacks; it applies to gas springs working in vertical position (between zero and 40 degrees with respect to this), including gas springs working with the piston rod at the top (tension springs- Fig from 1 to 4- ) and the gas springs working with piston rod at the bottom (compression springs - Fig from 5 to 8-) For the tension springs, the device includes a light metal diffuser tube (6) (6), (with bottom removable (7) fixed to said tube by screws (12)), which covers the body (1) of spring and the protective tube of the piston rod (2). A clearance of approximately 5 millimeters is provided between the two tubes to allow the circulation of hot or cold air upwards according to the arrows shown in the drawings. The diffuser tube (6) receives in its removable bottom (7) a resistance (11) low temperature (40 degrees centigrade maximum) disposed in a ceramic toroid (14) and coated with refractory cement.

This torus is held on the bottom (7) of the tube by a circlip (15) fixed on the rod (9) secured to the spring body (1), this rod receiving a fixing ball (3). At the bottom of the tube (6) and on this, holes (10) are made for the entry of fresh air, which after heating on the resistor (11) will rise and heat the body of the spring
(1), even through the rod protection tube (4) when the latter is retracted and this tube envelops the spring body (1) -F1g 3 and 4- The rod protection tube (4) ( 2) is fixed on the latter by nuts (S). A slight clearance is left between this tube and the spring body (l). The tube (6) covering the assembly and supporting the heating device is fixed by nuts (8) on the rod (9) secured to the spring body (1). The piston rod (2) and the fixing rod (9) are threaded at the end to receive the ball joints (3) and the nuts (5 and 8) for locking the tubes (4-6). In the bottom of the tubet7) an orifice is made for the passage of the electrical conductors (13) from the heating resistor.

For the springs working with the piston rod at the bottom (compression springs) the corresponding drawings include the figures from 5 to 8. This device comprises only one tube (6) serving to protect the rod (2) and heating system support with removable bottom (7), the assembly being identical to the previous description (given that the heating device is fixed to the piston rod (2) while it is fixed in the other case on the rod (9) integral with the gas spring body (l). The two heating devices which have just been described are controlled by an electronic thermostat placed in the general control cabinet, with external probe placed near the gas springs; an adjustment button allows you to adjust the start-up temperature.When the heating is switched off by the thermostat, and therefore the ambient temperature increases, the natural circulation of fresh air between the diffuser tube (6) and the body of the resso gas rt (1) produces relative cooling, especially in the hot season, which provides the spring with a certain thermal stability useful for its proper functioning.

REFERENCES 1) Gas spring body 2) Gas spring piston rod 3) Rod fixing ball joint (2 or 9) 4) Piston rod protection tube 5) Tube fixing nuts on rod ( 2) 6) Diffuser tube supporting the heating system 7) Removable bottom of the diffuser tube (6) 8) Locking rod fixing nuts (9) 9, Gas spring body fixing rod (1) 10) Holes for bringing outside air into the diffuser tube (6) 11) Low temperature heating resistor 12) Screws fixing the bottom of the diffuser tube to it 13) Electric wires supplying the heating resistor 14) Ceramic toroid received the heating resistance 15) Circlips fixing the torus to the bottom of the diffuser tube (7) 16) Clearance between the tubes (6 and zI or between the tube (6) and the body
gas spring (l)

Claims (8)

 diffuser tube (6).  a ceramic toroid (14) fixed on the removable bottom (7) of the  the hot air produced by a resistor (11) arranged in  (16) of a few millimeters for the circulation of  piston (2) -when this is provided- with clearance  gas spring (1) and the rod protection tube  a light metal diffuser tube (6) enveloping the body  sion (Fig. 5 to 8), characterized in that it comprises  working in traction (fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  CLAIMS 1) Thermal regulation device for gas springs 2) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), according to the reven  dication 1, characterized in that the removable bottom (7) of the  diffuser tube (6) is fixed on the axis (9) integral with the  gas spring body (l). 3) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in compression (Fig. 5 to 8), depending on the re  vendication 1, characterized in that the diffuser tube  (6) is fixed on the piston pin (2) of the gas spring  by means of its removable bottom (7). 4) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  sion (Fig. 5 to 8), according to claims 1,2, and 3,  characterized in that the diffuser tube (6), at the level of the  bottom (7) has holes (10) for the air intake  cool which will heat up on contact with the resistance  (11) and mount by heating the body of the gas spring (1) 5) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  sion (Fig. 5 to 8), according to any of the reven  dications from 1 to 4, characterized in that the resistance  heating (II) arranged in a ceramic toroid (14),  is held on the bottom (7) of the diffuser tube (6) by  a circlip fixed on the fixed rod (9) or on the rod of the  gas spring piston (2).  is fixed on it by screws (12).  4, 5, characterized in that the bottom of the diffuser tube (7)  sion (Fig. 5 to 8) according to claims 1, 2, 3,  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  6) Thermal regulation device or gas springs 7) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  sion (Fig. 5 to 8), according to any of the claims  cations from 1 to 6, characterized in that in that the  bottom (7) of the diffuser tube (6) is fixed on the movable rod  piston (2) or on the fixed rod (9) secured to the body  spring (1), depending on the type of spring (traction or com  pressure), by nuts (5 & 8), these two rods being  threaded at the end. 8) Thermal regulation device for gas springs  working in traction (Fig. 1 to 4), or in compression  sion (Fig. 5 to 8), according to any of the reven  dications from I to 7, characterized in that the bottom (7) of the  diffuser tube is pierced with a hole for passage  electric conductors (13) supplying the resistance  heating (11).