GB2044839A

GB2044839A - Door operating arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2044839A
Application number: GB8003343A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Wartsila Oy AB
Current assignee: Wartsila Oy AB
Priority date: 1979-02-01
Filing date: 1980-01-31
Publication date: 1980-10-22
Also published as: DE3003741A1; FI63622B; SE8000741L; FI790324A; FI63622C

Abstract

An arrangement for operating a door includes a power cylinder 36 connectible to a door (not shown) for controlling its movements. A control means (not shown) controls the driving motor 7 operating a pressure pump 5 and thereby to actuate the power cylinder 36 of a door closer unit 1 of the kind having a main cylinder housing a first piston member 12 moving in accordance with the movements of the door and thereby pumping pressure medium from a first chamber I to another chamber II through a first flow duct 16 interconnecting the chambers I and II. The door closer unit 1 is provided with a spring member 11 urging the door to closed position and with a throttling means 18 for damping the closing movement of the door. The chambers I and II, the first flow duct 16 and the pump 5 are parts of a closed pressure medium system, in which the chamber II is connected to the suction side of the pump and the chamber I to the pressure side of the pump. Valve means 17 prevents direct pressure medium flow between the two chambers and for leading the pressure medium to pass through the pump 5 so as to be pumped from one of the chambers to the other in a direction giving the door an opening movement. The control means for the motor 7 is able to disconnect the door closer unit 1 from the influence of the pump 5 and leave it free to work as a normal door closer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Door operating arrangement This invention relates to an operating arrangement for a door, gate, flap or the like closure member. For the sake of simplicity in the ensuing description and claims such a closure member will be referred to as a door. In particular the invention relates to a door operating arrangement which includes a power cylinder connectible to the door for controlling movements of the door, a pressure pump connected to the power cylinder, a driving motor for said pump and means for controlling the driving motor.

Operating arrangements which automatically open or close a door in response to a certain starting impulse have been known for a long time. A common feature of these known arrangements is that opening of the door is carried out by means of linear-movement cylinders, torque cylinders or motors, in addition to which means have been required for closing the door and for damping the closing motion. In practice these known arrangements have been rather complicated and therefore also relatively expensive.

The present invention aims to provide a door operating arrangement which is simpler and less expensive than the known operating arrangements, and which, in addition, is reliable in service and easy to install.

According to the invention, an operating arrangement for a door (as hereinbefore defined) is characterized in that said power cylinder is the cylinder of a door closer of the kind having a main cylinder housing a first piston member moving in accordance with the movements of the door and thereby pumping pressure medium from one chamber to another through a first flow duct interconnecting said chambers, said door closer being further provided with a spring member urging the door to closed position, and preferably with means for damping the closing movement of the door, said chambers, said first flow duct and said pump being arranged to form a closed pressure medium system, in which one of said chambers is connected to the suction side of said pump and the other to the pressure side of said pump, said closed pressure medium system being provided with means for preventing direct pressure medium flow between said chambers and for leading said pressure medium to pass through said pump so as to be pumped from one of the chambers of said door closer to the other chamber in a direction giving said door an opening movement, and with means for leaving said door closer free from the influence of said pump so that it is able to work as a normal door closer. In this way, by constructionally combining the relevant members for opening and closing the door in one basic unit, a construction has been achieved which, with regard to its costs, its function and its ease of installation, is a favourable one.

Said first flow duct of the door closer may be provided with a shut-off valve, which during the opening movement of the door is arranged to close said first flow duct and during the closing movement of the door is arranged to open said first flow duct. Then, operation of said shut-off valve may favourably be arranged by using the pressure of the medium circulating through the pump. Said first flow duct may also be provided with an adjustable throttling means, enabling regulation of the pressure medium flow during the closing movement of the door.

For controlling the opening movement of the door irrespective of the location and operating conditions of the door, it is useful to provide said cylinder with a second piston member whose position is dependent on the movements of the door and which is preferably connected to said first piston member. The second piston member is arranged to define in the power cylinder a third chamber, which is connected to one of said other chambers, preferably by means of a second flow duct passing through said second piston member.

Then, said second flow duct may be provided with means arranged to function as a so-called door closer opening brake for damping the last stage of the opening movement of the door. Said opening brake action may, for instance, be arranged to be activated mechanically at a certain open position of the door, for example in the way disclosed in German Published Patent Application P 27 54 482.7 (corresponding to British Patent Application No. 51533/77).

For starting an opening movement of the door, the operating arrangement may be provided with a device giving an opening impulse, for instance, a photocell, which is arranged to start the driving motor of the pump for opening the door.

With regard to the controllability of the operating arrangement it is favourable to provide the flow system circulating through the pump with a pressure limiting valve and a non-return valve.

With regard to the connections and the construction of the operating arrangement it is useful to connect the pump to a separate connection unit attached to the door closer, to which unit flow tubes and flow ducts leading from the cylinder to the pump are connected and in which the valves needed for the flow system of the pump are located. The installation of the operating arrangement is in turn often promoted by separating the pump and its driving motor to form a detachable unit functionally connected to said door closer.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a door operating arrangement according to the invention, Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the door operating arrangement of Fig. 1 in a position corresponding to opening of the door, Figure 3.is a circuit diagram of the door operating arrangement of Fig. 1 in a position corresponding to closing of the door, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of a practical embodiment of section IV Df Fig. 3.

The door operating arrangement shown in Fig. 1 comprises a unit 1 performing the opening and closing of a door (not shown), which unit is provided with a power cylinder 36, and is connected, in a way known per se, to the door by -means of a spindle 2. A connection unit 3 is attached to the unit 1, the unit 3 being connected via pressure medium tubes or hoses 4 to a pump 5, which in turn is connected via a clutch 6 to an electric motor 7. The arrangement also comprises a control unit 8 which, after receiving a starting impulse from a relevant device, for example from a radar device 9a, from a photocell 9b or from a so-called step-on contact 9c, starts the electric motor 7 for opening the door. The units 1, 3 and 5-8 are mounted.on a base 10, and if desired, they may be surrounded by a protective cover 3:5.

Alternatively, the pump 5, the clutch 6, the -electric motor 7 and the control unit 8 may be detached to form a separate unit and, for example, be housed in a wall or the like, so that only the units 1 and 3 are left visible.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that in the power cylinder 36 of the openercloser unit 1 there is a spring 11 which influences two interconnected pistn members 1 2 and 13. The piston members 12, 1 3 divide the cylinder 36 into three chambers I, II and Ill. In the piston member 12 there is a non-return valve 20, which permits flow only in the direction from chamber II to chamber I.

In the piston member 1 3 there is non-return valve 19, which permits flow only in the direction from chamber Il to chamber Ill. To the piston member 1 3 there is attached an opening brake unit 21, which by its construction is analogous to the opening brake construction disclosed in the aforesaid German Published Patent Application P 27 54 482.7.

Power transmission between the piston members 1 2 and 1 3 and the door takes part through a rack 1 5 connected to the piston members and a pinion 1 4 which is fastened to the spindle 2, the latter turning in accordance with the movements of the door.

Chambers I and Il are interconnected by a flow duct 16, in which there is an adjustable throttling means 1 8 and a shut-off valve 1 7.

The latter has two positions, one preventing through-going flow and the other permitting it. In the initial phase of the opening movement Df the door, the piston members 12 and 1 3 are further to the right than is shown in Fig. 2. The chamber Ill is then connected to the suction side of the pump 5 by means of a flow duct 25 passing via the connection unit 3, and the chamber II is connected to the suction side of the pump via a parallel flow duct 26. The chamber I is connected to the pressure side of the pump 5 via a flow duct 29, in which there is a non-return valve 27 permitting flow towards the chamber I only.

The shut-off valve 1 7 is pressure controlled via a duct 30 connected to the pressure side of the pump 5.

The construction of the valve 1 7b and of the flow duct 1 6 is shown in Fig. 4. A closing member 31 functions as a valve body, and is operated by means of a piston member 32 connected thereto. A flow duct 1 6a leads to the chamber II and a flow duct 1 6b leads to the chamber I. The end of the main flow duct 1 6 is closed by means of a ball 34, and a turnable adjusting screw determines the position of the throttling means 1 8 in the duct 1 6. The connection unit 3 is attached to the opener-closer unit 1 by means of screw bolts 33.

The way in which the above-described operating arrangement functions will now be described with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it being assumed that hydraulic fluid, preferably oil, -is used as the pressure medium in the arrangement.

When the electric motor 7 recives a starting impulse via the control unit 8, the pump 5 starts to pump hydraulic fluid from chamber Il and chamber Ill via the flow ducts 25 and 26, the connection unit 3, the non-return valve 27 and the flow duct 29 into chamber I. At the same time the hydraulic fluid flows through the duct 30 to the "upper" side of the piston member 32 of the shut-off valve 17 and, via the throttling means 18 to the "lower" side of the same piston member 32.

Since the area of the "upper" side of the piston member 32 is larger than the area of its "lower" side, the shut-off valve 1 7 moves to a position closing the flow duct 1 6 (Fig. 2).

As a result, the pressure in chamber I increases and starts to move the piston members 1 2 and 1 3 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2 against the spring 11. At a certain moment the piston member 1 3 passes beyond the flow duct 25, as shown in Fig. 2, but the pump 5 still continues to suck hydraulic fluid from chamber II via the flow duct 26 and then via the flow duct 25. Now, the hydraulic fluid can flow from chamber Ill into chamber II through a flow control valve 23 and a flow duct 37 of the opening brake unit 21 until the door is close to its desired opening angle. At that time, a yielding and adjustable counter member 22 starts to close the flow control valve 23, resulting in the opening movement of the door being slowed down.When the flow control valve 23 closes, the flow is led through a pressure limiting valve 24, which further retards the opening movement of the door. Finally, the motion of the door ceases totally. This is due to the fact that, simultaneously, the surface of the piston member 1 2 facing chamber I passes the inlet of the flow duct 26 and pump 5 starts to suck hydraulic fluid from chamber I, so that for a short time the pressure is reduced in chamber I. As a result, the spring 11 starts to press the piston members 1 3 and 1 2 backwards, so that the piston member 1 2 gradually covers again the inlet of the flow duct 26.Hence, the pressure is able to increase again in chamber I and the piston members 1 2 and 1 3 move again against the spring 11, until the piston member 1 2 covers the inlet of the flow duct 26 to the extent that the force caused by the pressure in chamber I acting on the piston member 1 2 and the counter force of the spring 11 are equal. In this way the door remains open as long as the electric motor 7 and the pump 5 are in action.

For keeping the door open for a suitable time, the control unit 8 is provided, in a way known per se, with electric circuits causing a certain time delay before the electric motor 7 is stopped. When the electric motor and the pump 5 stop, the piston members 1 2 and 1 3 start to move towards chamber I (see the arrow in Fig. 3) and the hydraulic fluid tends to leave chamber I.Since the non-return valve 27 closes, the hydraulic fluid can only pass through the throttling means 1 8 to the shutoff valve 1 7. Because the pressure "above" the piston member 32 of shut-off valve 1 7 decreases when the pump 5 stops, a small pressure "below" the piston member 32 is sufficient to shift the shut-off valve 1 7 to a position permitting the flow of hydraulic fluid.

Thus, the hydraulic fluid is able to flow via the flow duct 1 6 from chamber I into chamber II and further into chamber Ill through the nonreturn valve 1 9. The speed of the piston members 1 2 and 1 3 and thus the closing time of the door are adjustable by means of the adjustable throttling means 18, as in a normal door closer.

If, during opening of the door, an obstacle occurs in the way of the door, the pressure tends to increase in chamber I. As a result, a pressure limiting valve 28 located in the connecting unit 3 releases the excess pressure into the flow duct leading to the suction side of the pump 5. Since the opening time of the door is proportional to the pressure in chamber I, it is possible to control directly the opening time of the door by means of the pressure limiting valve 28.

Claims

1. An operating arrangement for a door, as hereinbefore defined, including a power cylinder connectible to the door for controlling its movements, a pressure pump connected to the power cylinder, a driving motor for said pump and means for controlling the driving motor, characterized in that said power cylinder is the cylinder of a door closer of the kind having a main cylinder housing a first piston member moving in accordance with the movements of the door and thereby pumping pressure medium from one chamber to another through a first flow duct interconnecting said chambers, said door closer being further provided with a spring member urging the door to closed position, said chambers, said flow duct and said pump being arranged to form a closed pressure medium system, in which one of said chambers is connected to the suction side of said pump and the other to the pressure side of said pump, said closed pressure medium system being provided with means for preventing direct pressure medium flow between said chambers and for leading said pressure medium to pass through said pump so as to be pumped from one of the chambers of said door closer to the other chamber in a direction giving said door an opening movement, and with means for leaving said door closer free from the influence of said pump so that it is able to work as a normal door closer.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said first flow duct of the door closer is provided with a shut-off valve, which during the opening movement of the door is arranged to close said first flow duct and during the closing movement of the door is arranged to open said first flow duct.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which said shut-off valve is arranged to be operated by using the pressure of the medium circulating through said pump.

4. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which in said first flow duct there is an adjustable throttling means.

5. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which said cylinder is provided with a second piston member, the position of which is dependent on the movements of the door, said second piston member being arranged to define in said door closer a third chamber connected to one of said other chambers by means of a second flow duct, said second flow duct being provided with means arranged to function as an opening brake for damping the last stage of the opening movement of the door.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which said opening brake is arranged to be activated by mechanical means which is influenced at a certain open position of the door.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, in which said second flow duct passes through said second piston member.

8. An arrangement according to any of claims 5 to 7, in which said first and second piston members are connected together.

9. An arrangement according-to any of the preceding claims, comprising -a device providing door opening impulses arranged to start the driving motor of said pump for opening the door.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, in which said device is a photocell.

11. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which said closed .pressure medium system connected to said pump is provided with a-by-p.ass conduit having a pressure limiting valve.

12. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which .at the pressure side of said pump there is a non-return valve preventing hack flow through said pump.

1 3. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which said pump is connected to a .separate connection unit at tached to said door closer, to which unit tubes and ducts leading from said cylinder to said pump arse connected and in which the valves needed in the flow system of the pump, are located.

14. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, in which said pump and its driving motor form a separate unit func tionally connected to said door closer.

1 5. An operating arrangement for a door, as hereinbefore defined, .co-nstr.ucted and --ar- ranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the.accom panying drawings.