Door closer

• US 7,788,768 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamuro, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; William L.
• Application Number:
  US11/722,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20090320236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 16 71- 72, 16/79, 16/85, 16/49, 16/64, 16D/IG.10, 16D/IG.17, 16D/IG.21, 16/62, 16/69, 493/86
• US Class Current: 16/79
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/102 with rack-and-pinion transmission between driving shaft and piston within the closer housing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/223 Hydraulic power-locks, e.g. with electrically operated hydraulic valves
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/224 for assisting in opening the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/41 for closing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/422 for opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/3015 Power assistance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

A door closer that integrally incorporates a door-opening-assistance device, and that therefore eliminates the need for unnecessary troublesome adjustment between parts, and whose number of parts is reduced, making said door closer compact. The door closer 1 includes a closer 1a that includes a pinion 5 that rotates in the forward and reverse directions when the door is opened or closed, respectively. A cylinder 9 is meshed with the pinion 5 and moves forward and backward. A closing spring 14 energizes the door in the closing direction via the cylinder 9 and the pinion 5. A opening-assistance device 1b that includes an opening spring 22 that stores an opening force in the door-opening direction due to the movement of the cylinder 9 when the door is opened. Locking mechanisms 27, 28, and 29, that—when the door is opened—lock the opening spring 22 under an opening-force-storing condition. An unlocking mechanisms 23 and 24 that—when the door is closed—unlock the locking mechanisms. The closer 1a and the door-opening-assistance device 1b are inside the same case 6 and interlinked by the opening of the door.

Claims

1. A door closer, comprising:

a closer that includes

a pinion that rotates in the forward and reverse directions together due to the opening and closing, respectively, of a door,

a cylinder that is meshed with the pinion and moves forward and backward, and

a closing spring that, via the cylinder and the pinion, provides force that is used to close the door, and

an opening-assistance device that includes

an opening spring that stores a door-opening force due to the rotation of said pinion when the door is opened,

a locking mechanism that locks the opening spring in the opening-force-storing condition when the door is opened, and

an unlocking mechanism that unlocks the locking mechanism when the door is closed, and

wherein said closer and said opening-assistance device are inside a same case so that the functioning of said closer and that of said opening-assistance device are interlinked when the door is opened, and

wherein said opening-assistance device comprises

said opening spring,

said locking mechanism,

said unlocking mechanism,

a fixing member that extends along the moving direction of said cylinder under a fixed condition at one end of said case, and

a moving member that receives the force of said opening spring, that can make contact with said cylinder, and that moves along the fixing member due to the moving force between itself and the cylinder, and

wherein said locking mechanism has locking balls that lock the movement of the moving member when the door is opened and lock the opening spring in an opening-force-storing condition, and

due to the closing of the door, said moving member releases the locking balls'"'"' locking of the movement of the moving member.

2. The door closer as described in claim 1, wherein said case is separated into a first and second chambers that are isolated from each other,

said cylinder includes of a first cylinder part that receives the force of the closing spring, and a second cylinder part that is meshed with the pinion,

the closing spring and the first cylinder part are inside said first chamber, and

the pinion, the second cylinder part, and the door-opening-assistance device are inside said second chamber, with the first and second cylinder parts connected with each other.

3. The door closer as described in claim 2, wherein said closer and said opening-assistance device are confronted with each other inside the case in a straight line along the direction of said cylinder reciprocating motion.

4. The door closer as described in claim 2, wherein said opening spring applies the opening force due to the rotation of said pinion within a predetermined angle at an initial door-opening stage, stores the opening force, and is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

5. The door closer as described in claim 2, wherein there is formed on said pinion a cam face that contacts the moving member, and

the cam face is formed so that the opening spring applies the opening force due to the rotation of the pinion within a predetermined angle at the initial stage of the opening of the door, stores the opening force, and is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

6. The door closer as described in claim 2, wherein said locking mechanism has a locking spring that moves said locking balls to a position for locking the movement of the moving member,

said unlocking mechanism has an unlocking spring that opposes the locking spring, and

said unlocking spring has a spring force that is larger than the spring force of the locking spring when the initial load of the spring force is set so that said opening spring applies the opening force, and that is smaller than the spring force of the locking spring when said opening spring is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

7. The door closer as described in claim 1, wherein said closer and said opening-assistance device are confronted with each other inside the case in a straight line along the direction of said cylinder reciprocating motion.

8. The door closer as described in claim 7, wherein said locking mechanism has a locking spring that moves said locking balls to a position for locking the movement of the moving member,

said unlocking mechanism has an unlocking spring that opposes the locking spring, and

said unlocking spring has a spring force that is larger than the spring force of the locking spring when the initial load of the spring force is set so that said opening spring applies the opening force, and that is smaller than the spring force of the locking spring when said opening spring is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

9. The door closer as described in claim 1, wherein said opening spring applies the opening force due to the rotation of said pinion within a predetermined angle at an initial door-opening stage, stores the opening force, and is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

10. The door closer as described in claim 1, wherein there is formed on said pinion a cam face that contacts the moving member, and

the cam face is formed so that the opening spring applies the opening force due to the rotation of the pinion within a predetermined angle at the initial stage of the opening of the door, stores the opening force, and is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.

11. The door closer as described in claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism has a locking spring that moves said locking balls to a position for locking the movement of the moving member,

said unlocking mechanism has an unlocking spring that opposes the locking spring, and

said unlocking spring has a spring force that is larger than the spring force of the locking spring when the initial load of the spring force is set so that said opening spring applies the opening force, and that is smaller than the spring force of the locking spring when said opening spring is locked in the opening-force-storing condition.