Modular hold-open device for door closers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12071806-B2
Application number	US-202218075966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2022
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

An exemplary modular hold-open device is configured for use with a door closer comprising a body, a pinion rotatably mounted to the body, and an armature connected with the pinion. The modular hold-open device is configured to be mounted to the door closer, to selectively prevent rotation of the pinion by exerting on the pinion a resistive torque in a door-opening direction, and to cease exerting the resistive torque in response to a door-closing torque on the pinion exceeding a threshold torque to thereby permit rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hold-open device configured for use with a door closer comprising a pinion operable to rotate each of a door-closing direction and a door-opening direction opposite the door-closing direction, the hold-open device comprising:
a shaft configured for rotational coupling with the pinion;
a ratchet wheel engaged with the shaft such that rotation of the shaft in the door-closing direction causes rotation of the ratchet wheel in a first rotational direction; and
a pawl operable to engage the ratchet wheel, the pawl having a holding position in which the pawl prevents rotation of the ratchet wheel in the first rotational direction to thereby prevent rotation of the shaft in the door-closing direction, the pawl having a release position in which the pawl permits movement of the ratchet wheel in the first rotational direction to thereby permit rotation of the shaft in the door-closing direction; and
wherein the ratchet wheel is configured to drive the pawl from the holding position which prevents rotation of the shaft in the door-closing direction to the release position in response to application of a threshold torque to the shaft to thereby permit rotation of the shaft in the door-closing direction.

2. The hold-open device of claim 1 , further comprising a bias mechanism resisting movement of the pawl from the holding position.

3. The hold-open device of claim 2 , wherein the threshold torque corresponds to a biasing force exerted by the bias mechanism; and
wherein the biasing force is adjustable to facilitate adjustment of the threshold torque.

4. The hold-open device of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet wheel is engaged with the shaft via a reduction gear set configured to convert a first door-closing torque on the shaft to a second door-closing torque on the ratchet wheel; and
wherein the first door-closing torque is greater than the second door-closing torque.

5. The hold-open device of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet wheel is connected with the shaft via a one-way bearing configured to transmit a first rotation of the shaft to the ratchet wheel and to not transmit a second rotation of the shaft to the ratchet wheel; and
wherein the first rotation is in the door-closing direction and the second rotation is in the door-opening direction.

6. The hold-open device of claim 1 , further comprising a reset mechanism configured to drive the pawl from the release position to the holding position in response to a predetermined rotation of the shaft.

7. The hold-open device of claim 1 , further comprising a selector operable to transition the hold-open device between:
an active mode, in which the pawl is movable between the holding position and the release position; and
an idle mode, in which the pawl is retained in the release position.

8. The hold-open device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a case in which the shaft is rotatably mounted; and
a modular mode selection device including the selector; and
wherein the modular mode selection device is removably mounted to the case.

9. A door closer assembly, comprising:
a closer body;
a pinion rotatably mounted to the closer body, wherein the pinion is rotationally biased in a door-closing direction by a biasing torque; and
a hold-open mechanism comprising a case mounted to the closer body and a pinion-engaging shaft rotatably mounted in the case and operably coupled with the pinion, the hold open mechanism operable to selectively prevent rotation of the pinion by exerting on the pinion a resistive torque in a door-opening direction opposite the door-closing direction, wherein the hold-open mechanism is configured to cease exerting the resistive torque in response to a door-closing torque on the pinion exceeding a threshold torque to thereby permit rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction.

10. The door closer assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a selector operable to transition the hold-open device between:
an active mode, in which the hold-open mechanism is configured to selective prevent rotation of the pinion; and
an idle mode, in which the hold-open mechanism does not selectively prevent rotation of the pinion.

11. The door closer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the hold-open device is further configured to cease exerting the resistive torque in response to receiving a door close signal from an external device.

12. The door closer assembly of claim 11 , wherein the hold-open device is further configured to, after ceasing the resistive torque, re-exert the resistive torque in response to a predetermined rotation of the pinion.

13. The door closer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the resistive torque is adjustable to thereby adjust the threshold torque.

14. A door closer assembly, comprising:
a body;
a pinion rotatably mounted to the body, wherein the pinion is rotationally biased in a door-closing direction by a biasing torque; and
a hold-open mechanism comprising:
a ratchet wheel engaged with the pinion such that rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction causes rotation of the ratchet wheel in a first rotational direction; and
a pawl operable to engage the ratchet wheel, the pawl having a holding position in which the pawl prevents rotation of the ratchet wheel in the first rotational direction to thereby prevent rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction, the pawl having a release position in which the pawl permits movement of the ratchet wheel in the first rotational direction to thereby permit rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction; and

wherein the ratchet wheel is configured to drive the pawl from the holding position which prevents rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction to the release position in response to application of the threshold torque to the pinion to thereby permit rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction.

15. The door closer assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a selector operable to transition the hold-open device between:
an active mode, in which the pawl is movable between the holding position and the release position; and
an idle mode, in which the pawl is retained in the release position.

16. A door closer assembly, comprising:
a door closer body;
a pinion rotatably mounted to the door closer body, wherein the pinion is rotationally biased in a door-closing direction by a door closer torque;
a hold-open device operably coupled with the pinion and operable to selectively prevent rotation of the pinion by exerting on the pinion a resistive torque in a door-opening direction opposite the door-closing direction, and to cease exerting the resistive torque in response to a door-closing torque on the pinion exceeding a threshold torque to thereby permit rotation of the pinion in the door-closing direction; and
a selector operable to transition the hold-open device between an active mode and an idle mode;
wherein the hold-open device in the active mode is operable to selectively prevent rotation of the pinion; and
wherein the hold-open device in the idle mode is inoperable to prevent rotation of the pinion.

17. The door closer assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a modular mode selection device including the selector; and
wherein the modular mode selection device is operable to be removed from the door closer assembly as a unit.

18. The door closer assembly of claim 16 , wherein the door closer assembly comprises:
a door closer including the door closer body and the pinion; and
a modular assembly removably coupled to the door closer body, the modular assembly

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Lacy Yong K
• Hamsagar Akhil Ramesh
• Shetty Adithya Gangadhar
• Mani Vijayakumar
• Vasudevan Sundar Raj Dore
• Toloday David V
• Shanmugam Kanagaraj

Classifications

• E05Y2201/41

  for closing · CPC title

• E05Y2201/716

  Pinions · CPC title

• E05Y2201/418

  for holding · CPC title

• E05Y2201/722

  Racks · CPC title

• E05Y2900/132

  Doors · CPC title