Electric Actuator for an Entry and Exit Device, in Particular a Door

• US 20160115724A1
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Isaf Bus Components S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Isaf Bus Components S.r.l.
• Inventors: SESSA, MASSIMO, TURCATI, GIANNI
• Granted Patent: US 10,472,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/00 Doors B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 ; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/30 with pivoted arms and sliding guides
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/53 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/603 using rotary electromotors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/614 operated by meshing gear wheels, one of which being mounted at the wing pivot axis; operated by a motor acting directly on the wing pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/116 Safety means therefore
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/506 for buses
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/51 for railway cars or mass transit vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1125 Magnetically influenced friction clutches and brakes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears

Abstract

A rotary actuator (1) for a door (2) or ramp comprises an electric motor (3), a reduction gear (4, 5) connected to a front portion (6) of a shaft (7) of the motor (3), an output shaft (8) connected to the reduction gear (4, 5), an automatic locking brake (9) connected to a rear portion (10) of the motor shaft (7) and a decoupler (11) connected between the rear portion (10) of the motor shaft (7) and the locking brake (9) and actuatable to decouple the motor shaft (7) from the locking brake (9).

Claims

1. A rotary actuator for an entry/exit device, in particular a orientable and/or translatable door or ramp and the like in public transport vehicles, the actuator comprising an electric motor, a reduction gear arranged on a front side of the motor and connected to a front portion of a shaft of the motor, an output shaft connected to the reduction gear, an automatic locking brake arranged on a rear side of the motor opposite the front side and connected to a rear portion of the motor shaft, a decoupler connected between the rear portion of the motor shaft and the locking brake and actuatable to decouple the motor shaft from the locking brake.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, comprising a second decoupler connected between the reduction gear and the output shaft and actuatable to decouple the output shaft from the reduction gear.

3. The actuator according to claim 2, comprising an unlocking mechanism manually actuatable and configured so as to actuate the first decoupler first and subsequently the second decoupler.

4. The actuator according to claim 3, wherein the unlocking mechanism comprises a Bowden cable connected to the first decoupler and to at least one tie-rod, in turn connected to the second decoupler.

5. The actuator according to claim 2, wherein:

the first decoupler comprises a first shaft connected to the motor shaft and a second shaft connected to the locking brake, and a control bar connected to a Bowden connector and displaceable between a locking position and a release position for a torsional coupling and uncoupling between the first shaft and the second shaft,

the second decoupler comprises a further first shaft connected to the reduction gear and a further second shaft connected to the output shaft, a driving sleeve axially slidable between a locking position and an unlocking position for a torsional coupling and uncoupling between the further first shaft and the further second shaft, and a thrust portion connected with the Bowden connector and configured so that;

in a first stroke length of the Bowden connector, the control bar of the first decoupler moves from the locking position to the release position, uncoupling the motor shaft from the locking brake and the thrust portion moves relative to the driving sleeve without displacing it, and

in a second stroke length of the Bowden connector successive to the first stroke length, the first decoupler maintains the motor shaft uncoupled from the locking brake and the thrust portion engages and moves the driving sleeve from the locking position to the unlocking position, thus uncoupling the reduction gear from the output shaft.

6. The actuator according to claim 1, configured and preassembled to be able to be inserted and withdrawn as a single unit from only one side of a rotating column.

7. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the reduction gear comprises a epicycloidal gear with a plurality of reduction stages, wherein the number and the resistance of the material of the planet wheels of a final reduction stage are larger than the number and of the resistance of the material of the planet wheels of an initial reduction stage upstream of the final reduction stage.

8. A door for a vehicle, comprising:

a fixed frame, a rotating column rotatably constrained to the fixed frame, one or more orientable arms extending from the rotating column to move a shutter in response to a rotation of the rotating column,

a rotary actuator according to claim 1, said rotary actuator being at least partially inserted within the rotating column and constrained integrally in rotation to the frame, while the output shaft is connected to transmit its rotary motion to the rotating column.

9. The door according to claim 8, wherein the locking brake is arranged externally to the rotating column and connected with the motor shaft by means of a transmission portion extending from the interior of the rotating column to the exterior thereof.

10. The door according to claim 9, wherein the locking brake is arranged in an unaligned manner to the motor shaft.

11. The door according to claim 9, wherein a Bowden connector for the actuation of the decoupler is arranged externally to the rotating column.

12. The door according to claim 9, wherein a sensor for detecting a magnitude indicative of the position and/or angular speed of the motor shaft is arranged externally to the rotating column.

13. The door according to claim 8, wherein the rotary actuator is received in an upper part of the rotating column.

14. The door according to claim 8, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to be able to be inserted and withdrawn from only one side of the rotating column.

15. Method for torsionally uncoupling the output shaft from the locking brake in a rotary actuator according to claim 2, comprising actuating the first decoupler to decouple the motor from the locking brake, and subsequently actuating the second decoupler to decouple the output shaft from the reduction gear.