Power boost module for a door closer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844644-B2
Application number	US-201816040765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a door closer having a pinion adapted to be operably coupled to a door and rotate in a first direction in response to opening the door and to rotate in a second direction in response to closing the door, and a power boost module operably coupled to the pinion. The power boost module includes a motor adapted to generate electrical energy via rotational movement of the pinion and supply a boost force to the pinion to assist closing the door, a gearing operably coupled to the pinion and the motor and structured to back drive the motor to generate the electrical energy in response to rotation of the pinion, and an energy storage device adapted to store the electrical energy generated by the motor and supply stored electrical energy to the motor for the boost force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for dynamically varying a harvesting force of a door closer control device, comprising:
a motor configured to generate a motor voltage that is triggered by a force applied to the motor;
a boost converter configured to increase the motor voltage as a motor current associated with the motor voltage propagates through the boost converter thereby generating a boost voltage associated with increased motor current; and
a controller configured to apply a duty cycle to the boost converter based on the motor voltage and which corresponds to a magnitude of the harvesting force applied by the motor, and dynamically adjust the magnitude of the harvesting force to correspond to the duty cycle and relative to the force applied to the motor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
increase a duty cycle applied to a buck converter to decrease the boost voltage when the boost voltage is higher than a boost voltage threshold; and
decrease the duty cycle applied to the buck converter to increase the boost voltage when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
apply the duty cycle to an H-bridge configuration included in the boost converter;
and
dynamically adjust the duty cycle applied to the buck converter so that the boost voltage is within the boost voltage threshold.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the H-bridge configuration is further configured to:
allow the motor current to propagate through the H-bridge configuration by activating a switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition into a closed state, wherein the motor current continues to increase as the motor current propagates through the H-bridge configuration when the switching action is transitioned into the closed state thereby increasing the boost voltage associated with the increased motor circuit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
activate the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to an open state when the boost voltage is higher than the boost voltage threshold to decrease the boost voltage to be within the boost voltage threshold; and
activate the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to a closed state when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold to increase the boost voltage to be within the boost voltage threshold.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
increase the duty cycle applied to the buck converter to decrease the boost voltage to activate the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to the open state when the boost voltage is higher than the boost voltage threshold; and
decrease the duty cycle applied to the buck converter to increase the boost voltage to activate the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to the closed state when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold.

7. A method for dynamically varying a harvesting force applied by a motor, comprising:
generating a motor voltage that is triggered by a force applied to the motor;
increasing the motor voltage as a motor current associated with the motor voltage propagates through a boost converter thereby generating a boost voltage associated with increased motor current;
applying a duty cycle to the boost converter based on the motor voltage and which corresponds to a magnitude of the harvesting force applied by the motor; and
dynamically adjusting the magnitude of the harvesting force to correspond to the duty cycle and relative to the force applied to the motor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the dynamically adjusting the magnitude of the harvesting force further comprises:
increasing a duty cycle applied to a buck converter to decrease the boost voltage when the boost voltage is higher than a boost voltage threshold; and
decreasing the duty cycle that is applied to the buck converter to increase the boost voltage when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
applying the duty cycle to an H-bridge configuration included in the boost converter;
and
dynamically adjusting the duty cycle applied to the buck converter so that the boost voltage is within the boost voltage threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
allowing the motor current to propagate through the H-bridge configuration by activating a switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition into a closed state, wherein the motor current continues to increase as the motor current propagates through the H-bridge configuration when the switching action is transitioned into the closed state thereby increasing the boost voltage associated with the increased motor current.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
activating the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to an open state when the boost voltage is higher than the boost voltage threshold to decrease the boost voltage to be within the boost voltage threshold; and
activating the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to a closed state when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold to increase the boost voltage to be within the boost voltage threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
increasing the duty cycle applied to the buck converter to decrease the boost voltage to activate the switching of the H-bridge configuration to transition to the open state when the boost voltage is higher than the boost voltage threshold; and
decreasing the duty cycle applied to the buck converter to increase the boost voltage to activate the switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition to the closed state when the boost voltage is lower than the boost voltage threshold.

13. A system for dynamically varying a harvesting force of a door closer control device, comprising:
a motor associated with the door closer control device that is configured to generate a motor voltage that is triggered by a force applied to the motor;
an H-bridge configuration included in a boost converter associated with the door closer control device and configured to increase the motor voltage as a motor current associated with the motor voltage propagates through the boost converter thereby generating a boost voltage associated with increased motor current; and
a controller associated with the door closer control device that is configured to apply a duty cycle to the H-bridge configuration based on the motor voltage and which corresponds to a magnitude of the harvesting force applied by the motor, and dynamically adjust the magnitude of the harvesting force to correspond to the duty cycle and relative to the force applied to the motor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the H-bridge configuration is further configured to:
allow the motor current to propagate through the H-bridge configuration by activating a switching action of the H-bridge configuration to transition into a closed state, wherein the motor current continues to increase as the motor current propagates through the H-bridge configuration when the switching action is transitioned into the closed state thereby increasing the boost voltage associated with the increased motor current; and
allow the motor current to propagate through the H-bridge when the boost voltage exceeds a boost voltage threshold by activating the switching action included in the H-bridge configuration to tra

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Langenberg Daniel
• Eickhoff Brian C
• Mckibben Aaron P

Classifications

• E05Y2201/716

  Pinions · CPC title

• E05F15/63

  operated by swinging arms · CPC title

• E05Y2900/132

  Doors · CPC title

• H02J50/001

  Energy harvesting or scavenging · CPC title

• H02K11/215

  Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements · CPC title