Automatic sliding and swing gate
The present invention relates to a single gate and to a double gate for closing a passage, which single and double gate are intended to be opened and closed automatically.
There exist swing gates wherein one large panel swings open. There are also sliding gates. These however require a great deal of space for large passages, since the whole gate has to slide aside in order to leave the passage clear. Further, gates exist where a combination of a swing motion and a sliding motion are combined, or where two swing motions are combined.
The present invention has for its object to provide a single and a double gate which is of simple and stable construction, which is safe, and which can be opened through at least a swing motion.
The invention provides for this purpose a gate comprising: a post; a closing part fixed to a swing rod part located outside the post; a drive arranged in the post and configured to rotate a drive rod arranged parallel to the swing rod part. The drive rod is connected to the swing rod part by means of a rod assembly. The rod assembly comprises a first and second parallel arm, and a first and second parallel rod, which are connected pivotally to each other at their outer ends in order to form a parallelogram linkage. The drive rod is fixed to the first arm. The swing rod part is fixed to the second arm. This arrangement is such that a rotation of the drive rod results in a rotation of the swing rod part for pivoting the closing part for opening or closing the gate.
In that manner, the rod assembly can ensure a good transmission of the force from the drive, via the drive rod to the swing rod part in order to create the pivoting movement of the closing part.
In an exemplary embodiment, the drive rod is fixed to the middle of the first arm. In a similar manner the swing rod part may be fixed to the middle of the second arm. Preferably, the rod assembly extends in a plane perpendicular on the axis of the drive rod and the swing rod part.
In an exemplary embodiment, the drive comprises a motor which is housed in the post.
In a preferred embodiment, the drive rod protrudes out of an upper end of the post, and the rod assembly is located above an upper end of the post. By providing the rod assembly at an upper end of the post, an easy connection with the swing rod part is made possible. In such an embodiment, the swing rod part may be arranged at an upper side of the closing part. However, it is also possible to arrange the swing rod part somewhere along the side of the closing part, see e.g. the exemplary embodiment of figure 4, which will be discussed in detail below. Further, a lower swing rod part may be provided at a lower end of the closing part, in line with the upper swing rod part at the upper side. Preferably, the upper and lower swing rod parts are parts of the same swing rod which extends along a side of the closing part, between a lower and upper end.
In an exemplary embodiment the closing part is any one of the following: a closing panel, optionally provided with openings; a frame against which a panel is fixed, a closing part with bars; a frame in which a mat is tensioned; a frame in which bars are provided.
In a possible embodiment the post is provided at a lower end with a base plate and provided at an upper end with an upper plate, and the closing part is suspended between the base plate and the upper plate, adjacently of the post. The weight of the closing part can in this way be supported by the post by means of the upper plate and base plate. Preferably, the swing rod part is a part of a swing rod which is suspended between the base plate and the upper plate. However, in other embodiments, the swing rod part may be a separate part fixed to the closing part.
In a possible embodiment, the drive rod protrudes through the upper plate and is connected by means of the rod assembly on the upper side of the upper plate to the swing rod part.
In an exemplary embodiment, the swing rod part is an upper end of the swing rod, wherein a lower end of the swing rod is arranged in a bearing on the lower plate.
In an exemplary embodiment, the single gate further comprises a second closing part, which is suspended from the closing part that is fixed to the swing rod part, said latter closing part being referred to as the first closing part in this embodiment, wherein the second closing part is slideable along the first closing part or rotatable with respect to the first closing part. The single gate further comprises a second drive configured for moving, i.e. sliding or rotating, the second closing part with respect to the first closing part. This second drive may comprise a motor which is fixed on the first or the second closing part. A gate is in this way obtained which can close a relatively large gate entrance and which can be opened and closed relatively quickly by a combination of a first swing movement and a second sliding or swing movement. The gate can in addition be employed in multifunctional manner in the sense that it is possible in some embodiments to operate the drive such that a first movement only, or a combined first and second movement, is activated depending on the size of the gate opening that is required. In comparison with existing swing gates a quicker opening and closing is possible, and in comparison with sliding gates no space need be provided in the line of the gate in order to enable opening.
Within the scope of the invention it is possible for a first and second motor to be provided for respectively the first and second drive, although it is also possible for a shared motor to be provided for the first and second drive, wherein both the first and the second movements are realized via suitable transmissions. The first drive preferably comprises a motor arranged in the post and connected by means of a rod assembly as described above to the first closing part.
In a possible embodiment the gate further comprises a control for controlling the drive. In an embodiment with a first and a second closing part which are slideable with respect to each other, the control is preferably configured to activate the drive such that during pivoting of the first closing part the second closing part is slid relative to the first closing part. In an exemplary embodiment the control is configured to provide: a first mode in which the second drive is activated and the first drive is not, such that the gate is partially opened; and a second mode in which the first and the second drive are activated in order to fully open the gate. The gate can in this way then be dimensioned for instance such that a partial opening in the first mode is sufficient to allow a cyclist or a pedestrian to pass through but not a car, or is sufficient to allow a car to pass through but not a truck. The gate can further be dimensioned such that a full opening in the first mode is sufficient to also allow trucks to pass through. The control is preferably configured to be operated with user operating means, such as a remote control or a badge, wherein a first type of user operating means is provided for the purpose of activating the first mode and a second type of user operating means for activating the second mode. The skilled person understands that a similar controller may be used in an embodiment where the second closing part is pivotable with respect to the first closing part. In that case, instead of controlling the sliding motion, the pivoting of the second closing part with respect to the first closing part is controlled.
The invention further relates to a double gate comprising a first single gate according to any of the above described embodiments and a second single gate according to any of the above described embodiments.
The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of a number of by no means limitative exemplary embodiments of a closing part according to the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:
Figures 1A and IB show respectively perspective views of an embodiment of a single gate according to the invention in the closed position, seen from a front side and seen from a rear side; Figures 2A and 2B show a schematic top view of an exemplary embodiment of a single gate and a double gate;
Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of an exemplary embodiment of a single gate and a double gate; and
Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a single gate as seen from a rear side, in the closed position.
Figures 1A and IB illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a single gate in a closed position. The single gate comprises a post 60 which delimits a gate entrance. The gate comprises a gate leaf comprising a closing part 10 with a swing rod 15 mounted for pivoting around a vertical axis A adjacent post 60. Provided for automatic opening and closing of the gate is a drive 30 which is configured to rotate a drive rod 35 to pivot closing part 10 around the vertical axis A, see arrow PI, via a rod assembly 31.
First drive 30 can comprise a motor which is arranged in post 60 and which is connected by means of drive rod 35 and rod assembly 31 to the swing rod 15 of closing part 10 for pivoting around axis A. Post 60 extends between a base plate 61 and an upper plate 62. The drive rod 35 connected to motor 30 protrudes through upper plate 62 and is connected by means of rod assembly 31 on the upper side of upper plate 62 to an upper swing rod part 37 of swing rod 15, which is mounted for pivoting around the axis A. In the illustrated variant, upper swing rod part 37 is provided at an upper end of closing part 10 and protrudes through upper plate 62, where swing rod part 37 is attached to rod assembly 31. A lower swing rod part 38 of swing rod 15 extends at a lower end of closing part 10 and is arranged in a bearing 68 which is mounted on a base plate 61. Rod assembly 31 comprises two parallel arms 32a, 32b and two parallel rods 33a, 33b which are connected pivotally to each other at their outer ends so as to form a parallelogram linkage. The parallelogram linkage extends in a plane perpendicular on the vertical axis A. The pivot connection between arms 32a, 32b and rods 33a, 33b allow pivoting around vertical axes. The drive rod 35 is fixed to arm 32a, preferably to the centre of arm 32a, and upper swing rod part 37 is fixed to arm 32b, preferably to the centre of arm 32b. A rotation of the drive rod 35 will in this way provide for a pivoting of closing part 10 around the axis A, wherein the parallelogram linkage brings about a good force transmission by acting to both the left and the right on swing rod part 37. A control 70 connected to motor 30 can further be provided in the post. Control 70 can be embodied according to any of the above described embodiments. Doors 63, 64 which provide access to motor 30 and control 70 are preferably provided in post 60.
In the illustrated embodiment, the closing part 10 comprises a frame with an upper beam 12, a lower beam 14 and two vertical connecting beams 15, 15’ which connect upper beam 12 to lower beam 14. In this embodiment, connection beam 15 forms the swing rod. Further, a series of bars 16 extend between the upper beam 12 and the lower beam. The skilled person will appreciate that closing part 10 can also take a different form, and can for instance also be formed as a closing part with a frame in which a panel or a mat is tensioned. The frame can further also comprise a plurality of horizontal and vertical beams, and these need not necessarily be placed right at the top, the bottom or the side.
Figure 2A illustrates schematically a first embodiment of a single gate with a first and second closing part 10, 20. The single gate comprises a post 60 adjacent to a gate entrance, a first closing part 10 which is mounted for pivoting around a vertical axis A on post 60, see arrow PI, and a second closing part 20 which is suspended from the first closing part such that the second closing part can move along the first closing part toward the post for the purpose of opening the gate and away from the post for the purpose of closing the gate, see arrow P2. The first drive is not shown but can be similar to the drive described above with reference to figures 1A and IB. Further, a second drive for the sliding movement (arrow P2) may be provided on the first or second closing part 10, 20.
Figure 2B shows an exemplary embodiment of a double gate with two gate leafs. Each gate leaf comprises a first closing part 10 and a second closing part 20 which is slideable along arrow P2 with respect to the first closing part 10. The first closing part 10 can be swung open along arrow PI as in the embodiment of figures 1A and IB.
Figures 3A and 3B show another exemplary embodiment of a single gate and a double gate, respectively, comprising a first closing part 10 and a second closing part 20 which is rotatable along an arrow P2’ with respect to first closing part 10. First closing part 10 can be swung open along arrow PI in a similar manner as described above in connection with figures 1A and IB.
The gate can further be provided with a control connected to the first and second drives for controlling the first and second drives. The control is configured to activate the first and second drives such that during pivoting of first closing part 10 the second closing part 20 is slid (figures 2A and 2B) or rotated (figures 3 A and 3B) relative to first closing part 10.
In a first possible embodiment the control is configured to provide at least a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode only the second drive is activated and not the first drive such that the gate is partially opened. The gate can for instance then be dimensioned such that such a partial opening I), in the first mode is sufficient to allow cyclists and pedestrians to pass through but not cars, or is sufficient to allow cars to pass through but not trucks. In a second mode the first and the second drive of the two gate leaves are activated in order to fully open the gate. The gate can then be dimensioned such that such a full opening D2 in the second mode is sufficient to also allow trucks to pass through.
In a second possible embodiment, the gate B is a double gate and the control is configured to provide at least a first mode, a second mode, a third mode and a fourth mode. The first and the second mode can be similar to those of the first embodiment. In a third mode only the second drive of one gate leaf is activated, and not the first drive of both gate leaves, nor the second drive of the other gate leaf, such that only half the opening Dx of figure 2B is left clear. The control can be configured here to actuate only the right-hand gate leaf or only the left-hand gate leaf in the third mode. The gate can then be dimensioned such that such an opening Dx/2 in the third mode is sufficient to allow only pedestrians and cyclists to pass through. In a fourth mode the first and the second drives of one gate leaf are activated, and not the first and the second drives of the other gate leaf, such that only half the opening D2 is left clear. The gate can then be dimensioned such that such a partial opening D2/2 in the fourth mode is sufficient to allow cars to pass through but not trucks. The control can be configured here to actuate only the right-hand gate leaf or only the left-hand gate leaf in the fourth mode.
The control can be provided with a number of buttons for activating the respective modes described above. The control can in addition be configured to be operated with user operating means, such as a remote control or a badge, wherein a first type of user operating means can be provided for activating the first mode and a second type of user operating means for activating the second mode, and so on. Made possible in this way is that determined users can enter a site only on foot or by cycle, while other users can drive onto the site by car.
Figure 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of a single gate according to the invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of figures 1A and IB, with this difference that the swing rod part 37 is provided more or less in the middle of swing rod 15. The skilled person understands that also other variants are possible with a lower or higher post 60. However, for stability reasons, it will be preferred to have the swing rod part 37 and the upper plate 62 near the upper side of the closing part 10.
The skilled person will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the above described exemplary embodiments, and that many variants can be envisaged which fall within the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the following claims.