Opener

The present invention relates to an electromagnetically controlled door or gate opener for pivotable gates, doors, covers or the like pertaining to and covering, closing etc., boxlike casings, housings or the like.

Known electromagnetic door and gate openers include a closing sheet or locking plate having a cam for driving a one arm lever. The end of this lever rests on a blade of a control lever which in turn carries an elongated electromagnetic armature. The armature is maintained in a position of rest through the force of a spring and in that position the closing sheet or locking plate is locked or blocked. The electromagnet itself, moreover, is comprised of a U-shaped yoke with two rather strong coils. These coils will be energized with alternating current of low voltage and cause the yoke to attract the spring loaded armature whereby certain amount of lifting work is exerted and provided so that the aforementioned blade releases the lever as well as the locking plate. Since the magnetic force is effective across a rather larger air gap for purposes of moving the armature one needs a rather large operating current.

It is an object of the present invention to improve equipment of the type mentioned above particularly for purposes of reducing the magnetic volume and power consumption of such gate or door openers to a significant extent while the manufacture is to be simplified as well as rendered more economical.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is suggested to provide a tangentially effective wedge and to connect the same with the locking plate such that the wedge acts on an axially movable and displaceable drive slide; the slide acts as a drive whereby a control slide is resiliently positioned on the drive slide while the control slide carries a locking pin as well as an armature which faces and is part of an electromagnet whose yoke parts are stationarily mounted within a housing, casing or the like and/or adjacent to the gate or door which is is to be closed and opened by advancing and retracting the locking plate.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed that the invention, the objects and features of the invention and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a gate structure in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention for practicing the best mode thereof; the gate being shown in a closing position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an attempt of opening but without a release pulse being present;

FIG. 3 shows the equipment of FIGS. 1 and 2 but now in an open state;

FIG. 4 illustrates the gate structure in a side view;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along lines A and B in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken along line C-D in FIG. 1.

For purposes of mounting plate 2 two cylindrical pins 3 and 4 are provided which are inserted in suitable bores of the housing 1 and extend towards each other. The closing sheet or locking plate 2 is provided as shown in the drawings in the upper left hand corner of FIG. 1. The projection is configured as a drive wedge 2b. Wedge 2b acts on a complementary surface 5a of a drive slide 5. The wedge shaped surface portion 5a is shown in FIG. 5.

A control slide 6 is mounted on the slide 5. The slide 6 is provided with a locking pin 6a. Both slides are movable in longitudinal direction (relative to each other) and for this they are provided with oblong slots. The oblong slot 7a shown in FIG. 1 pertains to the slide 6. A corresponding oblong slot is provided in the slide 5 being somewhat longer than the slot 7a but registering with the slot 7a in vertical alignment that is transversed to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1. Both slots are penetrated by a threaded bolt 7. A spring 8 is provided between slide 5 and housing 1. Another coil spring 9 is provided between an edge shape portion 5b of the slide 5 and the control slide 6. An electromagnet 10 is provided with a stationary yoke 10a, a coil 10b and an armature 10c. The armature 10c is pivotably mounted on the slide 6 while the yoke 10a and the coil 10b are mounted on housing 1.

The door opener as described operates as follows. Assuming the electromagnet 10a, b is not energized electrically i.e. no current flows through the coil 10b and the plate 2 is pivoted counterclockwise, wedge 2b shifts wedge 5a. Consequently the slide 5 is shifted in direction of the arrow 11. Slide 6 is caused to follow the movement of slide 5 through the projection 5b and the spring 9 simply because the armature 10c can recede from the yoke 10a. The blocking pin 6a moves under the wedge 2b until a particular locking surface 2b1 abuts the pin 6a; now plate 2 is blocked following the particular advance that is necessary for obtaining the described control operation. This particular operational state is shown in FIG. 2.

On the other hand if as per FIG. 3 an electrical energizing pulse is applied to the electromagnet 10a,b the armature 10c is now held against the yoke 10a so that the slide 6 with its blocking pin 6a remains at rest. Hence in this situation of movement of plate 2, the surface 2b1 passes pin 6a and the slide 5 will be moved to the uppermost position. Now the locking plate 2 is pivoted to such an extent that its edge 2a will no longer project and the gate can be opened. As soon as no external force is exerted any more upon the opener the spring 8 forces the slide 5 as well as the plate 2 back into the initial position.

The spring 9 is assumed to have a very small retraction force only. It it merely required that the spring 9 moves the slide 6 whenever the magnet 10 is not energized. On the other hand, whenever the magnet is energized the spring must be capable of allowing for the entire displacement path of the slide 5. The springs 8 and 9 are specifically mounted in bores in the parts 1 and 2 (not shown). It is important in principle that there are long springs and long spring paths involved.

FIG. 4 illustrates oblong slots 12 and 13 into which nuts can be inserted through lateral openings in the housing. The opener is fastened to a door cover by means of two screws and can be adjusted to accommodate particulars of the gate or door.

The cross section shown in FIG. 5 illustrates generally the trough shape of the housing 1. Moreover, one can readily see the U shape of the drive slide 5 and the more complex configurations of the control slide 6, being mounted on the drive slide 5. One can see the rear side of the drive wedge 2b whose wedge surface abuts the inclined surface 5a of the slide 5. A particular spacing remains between the blocking surface 2b1 and the blocking pin 6a whenever the parts are at rest. This spacing, in reality, is about 2-3 mm. The spacing permits a certain advance between the plate 2 and the slides 5 and 6 prior to obtaining the blocking effect.

FIG. 6 illustrates a longitudinal section through the opener as shown in FIG. 1 and particularly the rest or normal state is shown. As mentioned earlier the cylinder pins 3 and 4 pivotably mount the cover 2 onto the housing 1. The slide 5 is situated with its wedged surface 5a directly under the drive wedge 2b, the wedge 2b of course pertains to the cover 2. The control slide 6 as stated is slidably mounted on the drive slide 5. The locking pin 6a is initially outside of the track of the locking surface 2b1. The screw 7 prevents that the two slides 5 and 6 separate from each other; for this oblong slots are provided including slot 7a.

Spring 8 maintains the slide 5 in the resting position shown in FIG. 6. Whenever the electromagnet 10 is not energized by electric current, and the cover 2 is forced down. Thereafter the wedge surface 2b is shifted over the wedge surface 5a to thereby cause the slide 5 to be moved to the left in FIG. 6. The armature 10c mounted on slide 6 is not stopped, blocked or otherwise impeded. Thus the spring 9 will force the slide 6 also to the left. The spring 9 is not visible in FIG. 6 but is shown in FIG. 1. The locking pin 6a will then move under the surface 2b1 and block the cover 2 after a short path has been traversed. On the other hand as the electromagnet is energized the armature 10c is held and that in turn means that the slide 6 is being held. Consequently wedge 2b of cover 2 can shift the slide 5 all the way to the left. In this case cover 2 is deflected to the maximum extent possible which in turn means that the rim or edge 2a recedes sufficiently far so that the gate or door can be opened.

The door opener as described has the advantage that the magnet 10 will provide no lifting work. The yoke 10a merely is required to hold the armature 10c. The holding action occurs in an optimum position of the armature relative to the yoke 10a. The holding force is a small one and single small coil with low energizing power suffices for that purpose. One can readily see that this magnet can easily be powered from batteries providing but a few volts dc. In order to demonstrate the preparedness for opening an illuminating and/or blinking diode may be included so as to provide an optical signal of the operational state. Battery operated door openers and gate openers are particularly of advantage in certain access systems wherein an opening control pulse is furnished from a decoding device. The decoding device may e.g. read the code on magnetic strip of a card that has been inserted, or keyed-in code or the like. The release coil and the electronics can all be powered for a long period of time from a single battery which does not require replacement throughout that period. This means that the installation costs are quite small. Basically the particular device can be provided either in the door frame or elsewhere in other parts of the door.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but all changes and modifications thereof, not constituting departures from the spirit and scope of the invention, are intended to be included.