Door closer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10236801-B2
Application number	US-201313889769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2013
Priority date	May 8, 2012
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A door closer system is provided that includes a motor, a spring, a reduction gear set, and a rack and a pinion mechanism. The spring and pinion may be coupled to the rack, and the pinion may be selectively coupled to the gear set. The motor may be selectively mechanically coupled to the gear set. The pinion may rotate in a first direction via the rack as the spring is compressed in a second direction opposite the first direction as the spring is expanded. The motor is operable to rotate and act upon the pinion through the gear set, thereby rotating the pinion in the second pinion direction and assist the spring in closing the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door closer system, comprising:
a motor, a spring, a reduction gear set, a rack, a pinion, and a power storage device;
said spring is mechanically coupled to said rack;
said pinion matingly engaged with said rack and directly matingly engaged with said reduction gear set;
said motor is mechanically coupled to said reduction gear set, said motor having a shaft, said shaft being rotatable in a first shaft direction and a second shaft direction, said motor converts rotation of said shaft in said first shaft direction into a generated electrical power;
said power storage device configured to store and discharge said generated electrical power;
wherein said pinion is rotatable in a first direction about a rotational axis of said pinion to translate said rack and compress said spring, rotation of said pinion in said first direction is impeded by said motor through said reduction gear set, wherein said first direction corresponds with an opening direction of a door;
wherein said spring expands to act upon said rack and rotate said pinion in a second direction about said rotational axis that is opposite said first direction with rotation of said pinion in said second direction impeded by said motor through said reduction gear set, wherein said second direction corresponds with a closing direction of said door;
said reduction gear set translates rotation of said pinion in said first direction into rotation of said shaft of said motor in said first shaft direction; and
said power storage device discharges said generated electrical power stored by said power storage device to said motor to provide power to rotate said gear set to rotate said pinion in said second direction during at least a phase of rotation of said pinion in said second direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said spring is expandable from a compressed state to an extended state, said rack being linearly displaced by expansion of said spring, such linear displacement of said rack facilitating rotational displacement of said pinion, such rotational displacement of said pinion translated, via said reduction gear set, into rotation of said shaft of said motor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said reduction gear set includes a spur gear set connecting the motor to the pinion.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said shaft of said motor is selectively coupled to said reduction gear set with a clutch mechanism.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said clutch mechanism disengages said motor from said reduction gear set if rotation of said motor exceeds a preset rate.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to be mechanically coupled to said door;
wherein said spring compresses when said door is opening and expands when said door is closing, wherein said spring is mechanically coupled to said shaft of said motor through said reduction gear set;
wherein said shaft of said motor rotates in a first shaft direction in response to expanding of said spring;
wherein said generated electrical power generated by rotation of said shaft of said motor in response to expansion of said spring is stored in said power storage device;
wherein said power storage device discharges said generated electrical power from said power storage device to said motor; and
wherein said motor rotates said shaft using the electrical power generated by and discharged from the power storage device to close said door.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said shaft of said motor rotates in response to compression of said spring during opening of said door to generate said generated electrical power.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said motor impedes closing of said door.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a clutch-type coupling mechanism that mechanically decouples said motor from said reduction gear set if a force opening said door exceeds a preset limit.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a clutch-type coupling mechanism that mechanically decouples said motor from said door if a force moving said door exceeds a preset rate.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein rotation of said pinion in at least one of said first direction and said second direction is impeded by said motor.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit that controls said motor and receives operational data of said motor via feedback control sensors.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said power storage device powers said control circuit by discharging said generated electrical power stored by said power storage device to said control circuit.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of said control circuit and said motor receives electrical power from only said power storage device.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein said control circuit determines a current to discharge to said motor from said power storage device based on a current torque acting upon said motor; and
wherein said control circuit controls said power storage device to discharge said determined current to said motor.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein said control circuit determines a current to discharge to said motor from said power storage device based on a transfer function of said motor; and
wherein said control circuit controls said power storage device to discharge said determined current to said motor.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein said motor further converts rotation of said shaft in said second shaft direction into said generated electrical power during a first phase of rotation of said shaft in said second shaft direction; and
wherein said power storage device discharges said generated electrical power stored by said power storage device to said motor during a phase of rotation of said pinion in said second direction corresponding with a second phase of rotation of said shaft in said second shaft direction.

18. A door closer system, comprising:
a motor, a spring, a reduction gear set, a rack, a pinion, and a power storage device;
said spring is mechanically coupled to said rack;
said pinion matingly engaged with said rack and matingly engaged with said reduction gear set;
said motor is mechanically coupled to said reduction gear set, said motor having a shaft, said shaft being rotatable in a first shaft direction and a second shaft direction, said motor converts rotation of said shaft in said first shaft direction into a generated electrical power;
said power storage device configured to store and discharge said generated electrical power;
wherein said pinion is rotatable in a first direction about a rotational axis of said pinion to translate said rack and compress said spring, rotation of said pinion in said first direction is impeded by said motor through said reduction gear set, wherein said first direction corresponds with an opening direction of a door;
wherein said spring expands to act upon said rack and rotate said pinion in a second direction about said rotational axis that is opposite said first direction with rotation of said pinion in said second direction impeded by said motor through said reduction gear set, wherein said second direction corresponds with a closing direction of said door;
said reduction gear set translates rotation of said pinion in said first direction into rotation of said shaft of said motor in said first shaft direction; and
said power storage device discharges said generated electrical power stored by said power storage device to said motor to provide power to rotate said gear set to rotate said pinion in said second direction;
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Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Dye William P
• Heckman Ian K
• Lacy Yong Kwan
• Allen Brendon
• Eickhoff Brian C
• Kielkowski Ron M
• Collins Dale M
• Toloday David V

Classifications

• E05Y2400/616

  Generators · CPC title

• E05Y2400/302

  during electric motor braking · CPC title

• E05F15/619

  using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements · CPC title

• E05Y2900/132

  Doors · CPC title

• E05F3/22 Primary

  Additional arrangements for closers, e.g. for holding the wing in opened or other position · CPC title