Patent Description:
Balanced-motion doors are characterized because its opening is made by means of a combined translation and pivoting movement of the door leaf. For this, the door incorporates means that facilitate this combination of movements, so that, when it begins to open, one end of the door leaf moves outwards from the threshold and the opposite end moves inwards, describing an elliptical arch with which the swept area is reduced to half compared to that of a hinged door. This allows large doors to be incorporated in small spaces.

These doors usually incorporate means of operation to achieve automated operation. These means of operation are based on the use of electric motors rotary operating the door leaf indirectly by using three common techniques, the use of transmission spindles and gears, transmission belts and chains and connecting rod.

The document <CIT> describes an automatic balanced door with a motion operator comprising a rotating electric motor and a reduction transmission coupled to a rotating output member that rotates a door arm, which has one end fixedly connected to the rotatable outlet member, and the other pivoting to the door leaf. In this way, when the operator rotates the outlet member, this one, simultaneously, rotates the door arm to move the door leaf.

Document <CIT> describes a balanced movement door equipped with an actuating device for the translational and pivoting movement of the door leaf, where a belt or chain is used that is connected to the leaf and which is moved by a rotary electric motor through of two pulleys. The leaf is mounted on the door frame by means of support and pivot arms which, as the door leaf driven by the belt or chain is displaced, force it to pivot.

Document <CIT> describes a door with balanced movement and electric drive, which leaves are supported through a rotating arm on a rotation bearing arranged in the door frame. The activation of the door leaf is driven by means of a spindle driven by a rotary electric motor housed in the upper door frame, the spindle nut of which is rotatably connected to the upper front edge of the door leaf. The rotary motion of the motor is transmitted through of the spindle to the leaf, achieving the desired combined displacement of translation and pivoting.

Document <CIT> describes a door with balanced movement whose leaf is associated by its upper and lower part to arms with pivot joint. The operating means of the door are constituted by a rotary electric motor that executes the opening and closing movement of the leaf by a connecting rod arranged between the rotary motor and the arms with pivot joint.

The operators based on electric rotating motors has different objectives problems.

They are complex transmission mechanisms with a multitude of interconnected elements that require maintenance to correct misalignments due to wear and tear of their various components. On the other hand, to control the fine movement of the door is complex because it is made by means of start and stop commands of the electric rotating motor, as well as with the control of its angular velocity, being in many cases necessary to resort to a box of gears of reduction that can be shifted the weight of the door leaf with the power supplied by the motor. This implies a long kinematics chain prone to acquire clearances and the use of multiple sensors, through which is determined the position and the speed of the door leaf, requiring a fine- tuning of the installation to ensure that the movements of opening and closing are carried out in a smooth and effective manner.

A third problem focuses on the high sonority of the means of operation of the door leaf caused by the vibrations of the electric rotary motors, as well as of the constituent elements of the means of transmission of motion to the leaf. This is an undesired effect that is especially annoying when it comes to interior doors or doors located in rooms where a low sound level is required.

One solution to the above problem is the replacement of operators based on rotary electric motors by linear motors.

An example of this type is patent <CIT>, which describes a balanced movement door featuring magnetic attraction means that hold the door reliably closed, acting in combination with a linear motor that pushes the carriage supporting the door leaf and is managed by a controller arranged above the guide rail along which the carriage supporting the door runs.

There are several problems with this system. Opening the door requires the door to be pushed by hand for the linear motor to start, as the linear motor cannot start the door movement by itself. On the other hand, this device is bulky and require significant space in the upper area of the door to house the linear motor controller, the operating mechanisms and the electric motor.

The invention raises the objective of developing an automatic movement balanced door with a mechanism of compact operation housed inside the running profile, completely silent and devoid of maintenance, which does not incorporate any kinematic chain or moving parts, so that it can be controlled simply and effectiveness.

This device does not need magnetic attraction means to keep the door reliably closed, as it is the linear motor itself that keeps the door closed.

It also does not need to be pushed by hand to start the linear motor, as it can start the opening movement by itself, allowing the door to be opened remotely.

The aim is solved by the technical features of claim <NUM>.

A door according to the invention includes a leaf hanging from a shaft that protrudes from the lower face of a roller carriage that moves inside a running profile located in the horizontal section of the door frame, which gives the leaf translational displacement capacity, and pivoting arms articulated at one end to the door frame and to the leaf at the other.

These pivoting arms force the pivoting of the leaf on the shaft of the roller carriage as it moves from the center of the running profile towards the inner end of the door.

The roller carriage has rollers on its sides that rotate freely on a roller track located inside the rolling profile and incorporates a set of coils fed by brushes that protrude laterally beyond the rollers to contact power supply tracks arranged longitudinally along the inner side wall of the running profile.

On the upper inner wall of the runner profile there is a set of magnets that extend along the entire path of the roller carriage, so that, in any position of the roller carriage, the coil assembly always faces the magnets.

The static magnetic field magnets interact with the electromagnetic field generated by the coil, giving rise to forces of attraction and repulsion that are controllable through the activation, intensity, and polarity of the current received by the coils.

The controlled succession of forces of attraction and repulsion allows the displacement controlled by the rail of the running carriage and the leaf hanging from it.

On the inner wall of the cover that closes the running profile, there are detection means designed to detect the position and speed of the running carriage with respect to the running carriage. The data captured by the detection means are received in a control unit located inside the running profile that manage the voltage and polarity of the electrical supply tracks.

A software application resident on the control unit interprets the data of the means of detection and generates electrical pulses that feed the coils through the tracks of power and the brushes. The variation of these electrical pulses modifies selectively the electromagnetic fields generated by the coils, so that the coordination between the position data received and the electrical pulses generated, allows creating the attractive and repulsive forces between coils and magnets to move the running carriage along the rail in the desired direction and speed, thus apporting the translational movement to the leaf.

The advancing or reversing of the leaf along the rail in combination with the action of angular guiding that conducive the pivoting arms promote on it, result in the balanced transactional and pivoting movement characteristic of this type of doors.

Therefore, the automatic door with balanced movement object of the invention solves the objective problems posed since the motor means do not incorporate moving parts or susceptible to friction, so that it does not generate vibrations or need of lubrication or maintenance interventions to correct misalignments due to wear. The entire operating mechanism of the door is integrated inside of the running profile, which has a size and structure equivalent to a conventional running profile, so it does no need extra space to house them and in consequence is considerably more compact than any other previous operating mechanism. Lastly, the use of a linear-type motor as an operator element allows the movement of the door leaf to be controlled with greater precision and efficiency, as interposed mechanisms such as transmission boxes, spindles or reduction gear devices are not necessary.

In order to illustrate the foregoing, the present report is accompanied by the description of a sheet of drawings in which an example of an embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the said drawings, <FIG> represents a front view of an automatic door according to the invention without the cover.

The door according to the invention consists of a frame (<NUM>) in which the leaf (<NUM>) hanging from a shaft (<NUM>) protruding from the lower face of the roller carriage (<NUM>). This roller carriage (<NUM>) is structured in a major block (<NUM>) and a minor block (<NUM>) closer to the hinge area.

The roller carriage (<NUM>) moves along the inside of the running profile (<NUM>) located in the horizontal section of the frame (<NUM>).

In the example shown, the running profile (<NUM>) has a general "L" shaped section and is laterally closed by a cover (<NUM>).

The invention also incorporates pivoting arms (<NUM>) articulated at one end to the frame (<NUM>) and at the other to the leaf (<NUM>).

In the example shown, the roller carriage (<NUM>) incorporates six rollers (<NUM>) on one side and two other rollers (<NUM>) on the opposite side.

All the rollers (<NUM>) run on a rail (<NUM>) located inside the running profile (<NUM>).

The rail (<NUM>) includes an inner top track (<NUM>), an upper outer running track (<NUM>), both located along the inner top wall (<NUM>) of the running profile (<NUM>), and a Inner lower track (<NUM>) located along the lower area of the inner side wall (<NUM>) of the running profile (<NUM>).

According to the example represented, the major block (<NUM>) houses twelve coils (<NUM>), although it could be a number higher or lower, depending on the needs, and has two pairs of brushes (<NUM>) that protrude laterally extending beyond the rollers (<NUM>) for contact with two electrical power supply tracks (<NUM>) located longitudinally along the inner side wall (<NUM>) of the running profile (<NUM>).

A pair of brushes (<NUM>) is positioned at the beginning of the major block (<NUM>) while the other pair of brushes (<NUM>) is positioned at the end of the major block (<NUM>) and constitute the means through which the electric current passes from the electrical power supply track (<NUM>) to the coils (<NUM>).

In the inner top wall (<NUM>) of the running profile (<NUM>), located between the inner top track (<NUM>) and the outer top track (<NUM>), there is arranged an alignment of magnets (<NUM>) that extend along the entire path of the roller carriage (<NUM>), the coils (<NUM>) facing the magnets (<NUM>) in any position along their path.

On the inner wall of the cover (<NUM>) that closes the running profile (<NUM>) there are detection means (<NUM>) that detect the position of an electronic block (<NUM>) located on the roller carriage (<NUM>).

Claim 1:
Automatic door with balanced movement consisting of a frame (<NUM>) and a leaf (<NUM>), operated by a linear
motor where the linear motor is composed of a roller carriage (<NUM>), an L-shaped running profile (<NUM>) located in the horizontal section of the door frame, and a cover (<NUM>) which closes laterally the running profile (<NUM>), whereby:
• The roller carriage (<NUM>) moves along the inside of the running profile (<NUM>), has rollers (<NUM>) on its side and is divided into a major block (<NUM>) containing a set of coils (<NUM>) as well as an electronic block (<NUM>), the major block also comprising a pair of brushes (<NUM>) protruding laterally beyond the rollers (<NUM>) at the beginning and another pair of brushes (<NUM>) protruding laterally beyond the rollers (<NUM>) at the end, and a minor block (<NUM>), located closer to the hinge area than the major block, from the underside of which protrudes the shaft (<NUM>) from which hangs the leaf (<NUM>) with the capacity to rotate on the shaft (<NUM>);
• The L-shaped running profile (<NUM>) comprises an inner side wall (<NUM>) and a top inner wall (<NUM>), the running profile further incorporating within it a roller track (<NUM>) on which the rollers (<NUM>) rotate freely, a control unit (<NUM>) which controls the electronic block (<NUM>), two power supply tracks (<NUM>) located along the inner side wall (<NUM>) on which the brushes (<NUM> and <NUM>) contact and move, and an alignment of magnets (<NUM>) that extend along the entire path of the roller carriage (<NUM>), arranged on the top inner wall (<NUM>), so that, in any position of the roller carriage, the coil assembly always faces the magnets;
• The cover (<NUM>) comprises an inner wall (<NUM>) and detection means (<NUM>) operatively connected to the control unit (<NUM>), said detection means (<NUM>) being located on the inner wall of the cover (<NUM>), and detecting the position and speed of the electronic block (<NUM>), whereby the control unit manages the voltage and polarity of the electrical supply tracks.