Power boost module for a door closer

• US 10,316,568 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Langenberg, Daniel, Eickhoff, Brian C., McKibben, Aaron P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rephann, Justin B
• Application Number:
  US15/371,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20170159344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/611 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/22 Additional arrangements for closers, e.g. for holding the wing in opened or other position
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/224 for assisting in opening the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/61 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/616 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/215 Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/12 with stationary armatures and rotating magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces

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.

Claims

1. A system for storing and/or generating electrical energy generated by a motor associated with a door closer, comprising:

a door closer operably coupled to a door and having a pinion configured to rotate in a first direction in response to an opening of the door and to rotate in a second direction, opposite the first direction, in response to a closing of the door;

the motor configured to generate a motor voltage that is triggered by a rotational movement of the pinion in response to the opening and/or the closing of the door and to supply a boost force to the pinion to assist the closing of the door;

a gearing operably coupled to the pinion and the motor and configured to back drive the motor to generate the motor voltage in response to the rotational movement of the pinion;

an energy storage device configured to (i) store electrical energy that is harvested from the motor that is triggered by the rotational movement of the pinion and (ii) supply the stored electrical energy to the motor to generate the boost force supplied to the pinion; and

a controller configured to;

monitor the motor voltage as the electrical energy is harvested from the motor in response to the rotational movement of the pinion;

dynamically adjust the boost force supplied to the pinion based on the motor voltage generated from the motor as the electrical energy is harvested when the motor voltage is indicative that a door speed of the door as the door is closing is below a door speed threshold thereby indicating that the rotational movement of the pinion requires the boost force to assist the closing of the door; and

dynamically store the electrical energy that is harvested from the motor based on the motor voltage when the motor voltage is indicative that the rotational movement of the pinion does not require the boost force to assist the closing of the door.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is adapted to generate the electrical energy over a first range of motion of the door;

and

wherein the motor is adapted to supply the boost force over a second range of motion of the door.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power boost module comprises a landmark sensor that includes an antenna and a target board secured to and for rotation with a rotor of the motor, the target board including a landmark point that is sensed by the antenna;

and

wherein the second range is determined by the landmark sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second range is associated with the door being opened between zero and fifteen degrees;

and

wherein the motor is adapted to supply the boost force over the second range only when the door is moving in a closing direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is adapted to supply the boost force only when the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is sufficient that the boost force is capable of driving the door to a closed position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuitry configured to control the supply of electrical energy generated by the motor to the energy storage device and the supply of electrical energy stored in the energy storage device to the motor for the boost force.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is adapted to operate as a brake to slow movement of the door while the motor generates the electrical energy.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mounting plate;

wherein the power boost module comprises a gearbox adapted to house the gearing; and

wherein the mounting plate is mounted to the door closer between the door closer and the gearbox.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power boost module is structured to be modularly attached to a door-mounted door closer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover structured to conceal the door closer and the power boost module.

12. A power boost module attachable to a door closer for supplying a boost force to assist in closing a door, the power boost module comprising:

a motor configured to generate a motor voltage that is triggered by a rotational movement of a pinion of the door closer and to supply a boost force to the pinion to assist the closing of the door;

a gearing operably coupled to the pinion and the motor, the gearing structured to back drive the motor to generate the motor voltage in response to rotation of the pinion;

an energy storage device adapted to (i) store the electrical energy that is harvested by the motor that is triggered by the rotational movement of the pinion and (ii) supply the stored electrical energy to the motor to generate the boost force that is supplied to the pinion; and

a controller configured to;

monitor the motor voltage as the electrical energy is harvested from the motor in response to the rotational movement of the pinion;

dynamically adjust the boost force supplied to the pinion based on the motor voltage generated from the motor as the electrical energy is harvested when the motor voltage is indicative that a door speed of the door as the door is closing is below a door speed threshold thereby indicating that the rotational movement of the pinion requires the boost force to assist the closing of the door; and

dynamically store the electrical energy that is harvested from the motor when the motor voltage is indicative that the rotational movement of the pinion does not require the boost force to assist the closing of the door.

13. The power boost module of claim 12, wherein the motor is adapted to generate the electrical energy over a first range of motion of the door;

and

wherein the motor is adapted to supply the boost force over a second range of motion of the door only when the door is moving in a closing direction.

14. The power boost module of claim 13, wherein the second range is associated with the door being opened between zero and fifteen degrees;

wherein the first range is associated with the door being opened between fifteen degrees and a maximum door opening angle; and

wherein the motor is adapted to generate the electrical energy over the first range when the door is moving in either an opening direction or the closing direction.

15. The power boost module of claim 14, wherein the motor is adapted to generate the electrical energy over the first range when the door is moving in the opening direction.

16. The power boost module of claim 13, wherein the motor is adapted to supply the boost force over the second range of motion only when the door is moving in a closing direction at a speed below a threshold speed;

and

wherein the motor is adapted to generate electrical energy over the first range of motion when the door is moving in the closing direction at a speed above the threshold speed.

17. The power boost module of claim 12, wherein the motor is embodied as a direct current (DC) brushless motor.