Patent Application
20110215599
The present invention, as the title of this specification states, relates to some improvements to modular evolutive systems for use in panic bars and similar locks, with the purpose of using the new multi-functional operation modular evolutive concepts, which have been conceived and made for providing significant advantages with respect to currently existing devices.
It can be applied to all types of sliding panic bars (Type B) for emergency exits triggered by a horizontal bar, both mechanicals and electromechanicals, with inhibition and for physically disabled people.
Another object of the invention is to create a new profile of the stationary half-bar for new applications.
The envelope assembly is also simplified by adding a simple crimp.
Also an object of the invention is to include basic functional changes in order to optimize the latches' release.
Furthermore a new dynamic compensation synchronous shaft is provided.
To meet fire regulations, the function of remote and side hinged aperture is included.
It also envisages a new system for adapting standard bars to different door widths.
Another object of the invention consists of simplifying and idealizing spagnolette systems.
A new mechanism is also included in bars for physically disabled people.
According to the aforementioned, is the object of the present invention the improvement in the structure presented by these systems in order to meet the guideline premise of the UNE-EN 1125 standard, main purpose of which is to enable a safe and effective evacuation with the minimal effort.
As for the operating system for use in emergency exits for physically disabled people, the invention aims to achieve from that applications a operability under pressures much lower than those mentioned in the in-force regulations, and that its basic mechanical construction with few elements comes up to an unusual reliability and durability.
Also, the variety of panic bars is complemented by the inclusion of the horizontal spagnolettes.
In some cases, a rationalization simplifying and streamlining the implementation and alignment of the necessary complementary elements providing very smooth sliding, consequently improving the spirit of the UNE-EN 1125 standard is envisaged.
Currently there is no design concept, on the envelopes of the frames, for electrical panic bars.
As it is known, latches, rocker arms, spagnolette rods and elements for locking thereof, include torsion and traction springs in their configuration.
For the same reason, given the low requirement of paragraph (4.2.6) of the regulation in force in the construction of the conventional elements sensitive to the locking function, their manufacturing is usually made by stamping, not on the basis of more complex configurations providing solids of equal resistance.
The adaptation of standard bars to diverse door widths is another area that admits the redesign.
The spagnolette latches are antagonistic vectors added to main latch vector.
In emergency exits for the physically disabled people, is even more important, the Regulation guideline for minimizing the aperture force (3.18 of the Regulation).
In addition, currently the optimization of Environmental Regulations is not achieved.
Currently, generic bars used for emergency exits use torsion springs on the rotation shaft of the latch and sometimes for the recovery of spagnolette rods and levers, traction springs being also used for the recovery of the upper and lower mechanism of the spagnolette latches, latches of which are also assisted by torsion springs.
Obviously, traction and torsion springs are not exactly the most reliable.
In relation to the force required for the aperture (Standard 4.2.1), the conventional generic system uses two levers associated with respective torsion springs encased in the head for dragging the latch during all its emerging displacement, and sometimes the spagnolette rods, also with the respective torsion and traction springs for the recovery thereof.
As for the design of a panic device according to the Standard (in its paragraph 4.1.9), it should be such that the effective length of the bar is the closest to the width of the door that has been selected, but never less than 60% of it.
The variety of bars with the measures required by the user is expensive, generates stocking and delays. Often, manufacturers of emergency exit bars conventionally use two standards.
As for the conventional construction the self-locking latch in spagnolettes, this includes a torsion spring on the latch, other of traction for the mechanism recovery, and occasionally another of torsion for the recovery of the lock stopper. This generic dragging arrangement is repeated in the configuration of bars with two and three anchor points. These vectors (top, bottom spagnolettes and bar) result in a considerable counterforce, per se, for unlocking the door.
According to the above, a poor attachment of the transmitting rods (spagnolettes) to their supporting element, can produce a permanent lock on the emergency exit.
Also, the philosophy of applying retention release instead of the traditional system: traction dragging extends to the new horizontal spagnolette element. This mechanism integrates the existing modular elements in the main bar and in the vertical spagnolette mechanisms.
The recovery of the spagnolette shanks maintains the implementation of the compression spring, not those of torsion conventionally used.
The locks include impellers, no static envelopes. In some cases for their alignment, dispense with the usual supplements, incorporating a simple and aesthetic adjustment.
The guiding supporting element of the spagnolettes (both horizontal and vertical) adds to their design a simple accessory that greatly improves the installation for aligning thereof.
In general, the improvements to modular evolutive systems for use in panic bars and similar locks, object of the present invention, are basically characterized in that regarding a configuration as the sliding panic bar, it includes a case bearing a boss, on which a sliding half-bar slides, through a guide made therein, thus eliminating other type of more complex assembly. There is a stationary half-bar that includes in its structure obtained by extrusion, a new configuration for the electrical installation electrified, including different recesses for prewiring different and other connections that have to be done. Crenellations for the correct alignment and movement of shuttles are envisaged, and having a necessary rigidity in their section when integrating the functions of inhibition, which sometimes appears in their variants.
Inside the rails existing in the structure of this case for modular attachment, it houses a first supporting elements joined together with head frames having a double circular sector for achieving the double depression of the latch on the positioning shafts thereof. This latch is characterized in that it includes an elevated self-locking member forming a compensating spring balance, being displaced from its geometric center for receiving a recuperating rod which, by means of the groove therein, moves along the positioning shaft together with its compression spring, and pivots on a shaft of a locking lever, thus replacing the classic torsion spring.
It has been envisaged that this locking lever, solid of equal resistance, performs the functions of: serving as unlocking element by actuating the follower on its external and adjacent addendum, sometimes on the application shaft during the exit of physically disabled people. This locking lever also performs the function of armor in electrical configurations, houses its return spring and ensures that in case of fire, when the fuse provided for such purpose is melted, this lever is retained by a spring maintaining the lock.
Moreover, head frames at its top are assembled with the supporting element of the coil for making up the stiffness of the head block. Another improvement of the invention is to include a skid, crimped or not, to electromagnetic armor made of different alloys (same as its core in inhibition applications), determining a solid of equal resistance, having at its top a triangular-prism configuration and in the middle maintaining the parallelism with the situation of some rods connected thereto and articulated on its shaft and on that of the latch. At its back, an open crenellation wherein a bushing for moving the synchronous shaft rigidly joined to the operating levers is housed, is formed in their lower shafts in the first operating lever and another in the second one. Thus it is independently moved, not associated with dragging the emerging element. These lower shafts or rapiers are assembled with the shutters hosted in the crenellations, which for this purpose includes the stationary half-bar.
It has also envisaged that the springs provided in the synchronous shaft, both for retaining and recovering the levers, are of the compression type and that the rapier of the second lever is nonmagnetic, but including a permanent magnet so that its behavior is bi-positional, which particularity enables the displacement of the frame on the synchronous shaft in a very simple manner within the stationary half-bar at the desired measure, for adjusting the standard bar. This synchronous shaft has groove therein, at cadence distances, from the locking recesses, so that the grooves serve as references for positioning the frame of the second lever, inserting the magnetic rapier, and once screwed proceeding with the manual break of the surplus synchronous shaft, for then cutting into a generic manner the half-bars and proceeding again to the new assembly.
Moreover, the locking mechanisms in spagnolettes modularly include the same latch of the main bar, as well as the same self-locking system, the same pivoting rod and identical retaining rods. These rods are articulated in a new skid grooved at its base for limiting its movement by a boss integral with the frame and covered with a polyamide guide bushing. This also retains the return spring of the stem attached to the frame through a shaft.
This stem is guided at its end by the crenellation provided in the frame.
Another improvement that involves the invention, lies in the fact that when joining a tandem for physically disabled people, the basic element is to include a shaft that with minimal movement and extensive post-race, allows the release of some “inverted levers”, pushing the corresponding shuttle, and due to the nexus of the spagnolette to the rod tandem, moving with minimum effort this shaft from resting position, a spring being the only element to restore the operating cycle of the bar for physically disabled people.
The selection of materials for the few modular elements, with minimal movements, friction and the implementation with compensating compression springs and the reduction of forces in cascade, result in a minimum of counterforce vector.
The integration of complements for its total or partial electrification, by eliminating complementary elements (air-cups, electric locks), their cost of implementation and aesthetic, results in a high-reliability and durability product, a very low energy assembly and a reduction of noise pollution.
In the mechanisms of horizontal spagnolettes, with regard to the vertical ones the skid is slightly modified, being provided with a double angular embossment and sliding guide on the frame base.
Likewise, to the mechanical (modular) frame some transverse supporting elements are joined, depending on its hand, which have a guiding function so as the angular retainers are aligned with the spagnolette along the guides of the head supporting element on the rod dowels. This alignment is complemented by including into the shank or spagnolette a design guide supporting element contained into three points, pitch diameter of which is slightly greater than that of the shank, this difference in diameters intends to house, during mounting, a bushing that after attaching the guide will be moved from the crenellations being positioned by gravity on the lower stoppers of the shanks, thus eliminating the possible friction that would occur without this accessory between the bar and the spagnolette mechanism.
The same concept applies for the installation of a second bushing, disposable after assembly, on the rod dowel ensuring the adjustment in a simple and unambiguous manner, and the clearance needed for the proper functioning of the spagnolette mechanisms.
Another element that has been object of study is the locks. In both the simple visual inspection is sufficiently explicit. That on the ground is formed by a crenellated supporting element that places an impeller with a protective envelope.
The adjustable side lock is configured by a supporting element that transversally houses a cam-rocker joined to the support element through a shaft mounting a dual-coil return spring. This rod bearing, at its anterior end, a double male-female impeller and the position thereof being regulated, with respect to the plane of incidence on the latch, by a simple screw that acts on the posterior addendum. Once attached and regulated this mechanism is covered and attached with its corresponding envelope.
In order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention and being an integral part of this specification, the some layout sheets are attached, in the figures of which, with an illustrative and not limitative manner limiting, the following has been represented:
FIG. 1.—It is a partially sectioned elevational view of the envelopes making up the rocking-side hinged/abatable-sliding bar.
FIG. 2.—it is a section of the stationary half-bar.
FIG. 3.—It is a plan view of an integral configuration of the system according to the invention.
FIG. 4.—It is a plan view of the same mechanical configuration of
FIG. 5.—It is a partially sectioned elevational view of the main mechanisms housed in the main head frame.
FIG. 6.—It is an enlarged view of detail A in
FIG. 7.—It is an enlarged view of detail B in
FIG. 8.—It is a partial elevational view of the final configuration according to
FIG. 9.—It is a schematic view of the frame and a complementary lever in its disengagement prior to the movement.
FIG. 10.—It is an elevational view, similar to that of
FIG. 11.—It is an elevational view, similar to that of
FIG. 12.—It is an elevational view, similar to that of
FIG. 13.—It is a side elevational view, in the direction of the arrow C in
FIG. 14.—It is a sectional longitudinal partial elevational view of the frame of the spagnolette mechanism in its resting position.
FIG. 15.—It is a view similar to that of
FIGS. 17 and 18.—These are sketches corresponding to the positioning of the spagnolette rods of the alternative movements according to a plan view of the conventional mechanism intended to be optimized with the invention.
FIG. 19.—It is a plan view of a configuration that according to the invention joins the main electromechanical bar, in this case, with an auxiliary bar to be actuated by physically disabled people.
FIG. 20.—Shows in two positions a) and b) the section obtained by a cutting plane through the line D in
FIG. 21.—Shows the spagnolette frame joined, in one of its symmetric configurations, to the side frame.
FIG. 22.—Shows the angular retainer corresponding to the configuration generated in the assembly.
FIG. 23.—Perspective of the guide supporting element for the spagnolette and corresponding bushing for its adjustment.
FIG. 24.—Shows another view of the spagnolette, integrating the support of its return spring.
FIG. 25.—Shows different projections of the skid in the horizontal spagnolettes.
FIG. 26.—Shows the plan and elevational view of the assembly of the vertical spagnolette sub-assembly to the main bar, with the adjustment elements not yet removed.
FIG. 26A.—Shows the perspective of the assembly of the vertical spagnolette sub-assembly to the main bar with the adjustment elements not yet removed, of
FIG. 27.—Perspective and exploded view of the essential elements making up this ground lock.
FIG. 28.—Perspective and exploded view of the configuration of adjustable side lock.
Referring to the numbering adopted in the figures, improvements to modular evolutive systems for use in panic bars and similar locks, which are contemplated by the invention, can clearly be seen and preferably in rocking-side hinged/abatable-sliding and doubly rocking latches.
The nomenclature used in the designation of the parts involved in the description is as follows:
As for the evolutive systems (evolutive envelopes) it can be seen that in the stationary half-bar 1 (
To the proper alignment and movement of “the shutters” (41-42-43) in
To the prewiring location and the strangulation of this channeling for the correct exit of single-drivers ensuring no collision with the movable half-bar 2 (
To the implementation of reinforced sections for providing the strength required by the pressures from 5000 Nw that necessarily has to be withstood when the system includes the inhibition or electromagnetic retention (45-46) (see
To the assembly, the movable half-bar 2 (
Another improvement of the invention referred to the implementation of compression spring and dynamic compensation in order to optimize the regulation on minimal efforts for the aperture, removing the torsion springs of the known art, these can be seen in
Alternatively, in order to also achieving a small force required for the aperture (according to Standard 4.2.1), such as shown in
It is noteworthy that the recuperation springs 47, 48 and 49 (
Noting the “U”- shaped frame wherein the first (34 integral, 33 mechanic and 35′ for physically disabled people disabled) lever is housed, there is a longitudinal groove into which the lower shaft 56 of the levers or rockers 26 plays, which is located in the respective frame 33-34 (
In
In a first sequence (static position) the springs 49 housed in the bar or synchronous shaft 37 of the operating levers, is responsible for the recovery of the movable half-bar 2 weight and the small push of the spring (47-48) for positioning the block corresponding to the latch 5, this with no antagonistic spring.
In a second sequence (unlocking) acting on the movable half-bar 2, the shuttles 41, with minimal movement (see
In a third sequence (retraction of the lock), by still acting on the movable half-bar 2, once the lock is released, a post-race is immediately produced, which added to the initial movement decreases the elongation, increasing the effective working length of the springs (47-48) for positioning the lock on its retraction.
In a fourth sequence (restoration), once the door is released from its frame, the vectors generated by the three springs of the synchronous bar are added together, making up the system again.
In the fifth sequence (closing), the elastic spring of the pivoting rod 15 that joins to the latch 5 and the minimum friction generated under its inclined plane are the only forces presented by the bar for its re-hooking.
This arrangement contemplates the basic application of Hooke's Law for producing a balance of forces with very low torque in all sequences. With this working mode, the dynamic compensation synchronous axis is best achieved by compliance with the European Standard EN1125 having as premise a safe and effective evacuation through a door with minimal effort.
As for the versatile retaining system performed by the locking lever 12, given the particularity of the mechanism for releasing, and not for dragging, in the conventional panic bars, having the double rocking latch 5, the most sensitive elements have a different particular design.
Through the external operating device, the aperture square bar rotates the follower 11 on the addendum of the locking lever 12. Its rigidity is such that the external device allows unlocking the skid 31 even, after remelting the fuse 28 at high temperature and facilitating the intervention of firefighter.
The shaft 64 for physically disabled people acts on its adjacent addendum, which moves through its spagnolette, the complementary bar for these.
In its rotation shaft, double crenellated, a pivoting rod 15 with its return spring M15 replacing the classic torsion spring, emerging positioning of the latch, is articulated.
On the area closer to the rotation shaft is the remote and side-hinged aperture coil 18. The dual dielectric that has on the one hand the core 17 at its base 22 and the constructive fact that the locking lever 12 as a function of armor, when is attracted by the coil 18, maintains a residual gap, does not allow residual magnetism.
Then the lever 12 shows an embossment into the bottom of which a compression spring 29 limited in its movement along the shaft 25 for the recovery of said lever, is housed. This shaft, slightly doomed in the embossment, has the added function of ensuring (when temperatures are close to the deflection curve of spring 29 by the remelting of the calibrated polymer, thermal fuse 28) the firing of its spring 27 causing the interlock of the locking lever 12. In response to the RF Regulation.
Then the protrusion retaining, under a small negative angle, the skid 31 in locking position (see
Another improvement of the invention is determined by the flexible system for optimizing Section 4.1.9 of the Standard (as specified in the Background of the Invention paragraph). Levers, on which the movable half-bar 2 acts, must be rigidly joined and at the end points of the bar so as to prevent torsions and consequently the inefficiency of the system.
Synchronous shaft 37 (
A stem 77 is retained by the shaft 79 jointly connected to the frame 74, and includes a return spring 78. This stem is perfectly positioned between the inverted crenellations of the frame 74 and those of the skid 76, the skid bearing a housing on the back for containing the attaching guide supporting element 83 of the spagnolettes 84, held by the dowels 61 which include the spagnolette rods 59 and, which are released with minimal effort, when the skid is moved from the bar 31, as shown in the positional diagram of
It is noteworthy that this spagnolette system proposed by the invention, by being for releasing and not dragging, in case of an incorrect attachment of screw T83 retaining the spagnolette 84 in the guide supporting element 83, “it does never lock the emergency exit”.
Regarding the operating system for use in emergency exits for physically disabled people, as mentioned above, the locking lever 12 had an embossment that could act on the shaft 64 for physically handicapped people, releasing the lock.
In
The second component of the referred combination is determined by the auxiliary bar for physically disabled people, it is “rigorous” with four operational components: two “inverted” levers joined through the synchronous shaft 37 with respective return springs 49 even more flexible than the configuration of the upper bar, because its function is simply to recovery the weight of its movable half-bar 2.
A single shuttle 43 (right or left) according to the rotation of the door to which it is intended, that at the front incorporates a pusher dowel 44 and rod 51 for shutting of spagnolette 53, practically symmetrical to the rod 52.
The spagnolette 53 which moves between the guides of the supporting elements of both bars performs the connection and the operational function of this application.
In this tandem a main electromechanical bar is applied in order to optimize the exit, since by physically actuating on the bar for physically disabled people, the rod 52 acts on a switch for enabling a timed electric aperture, which function requires no permanent pressure actuation on the movable half-bar 2, just exerting a first impulse.
With that tandem and from the electrical signal described, of the main bar and in a deficiency manner, another signal can be sent for the door motorization and automatic aperture.
In all configurations for physically disabled people, the pressures that have to be exerted are practically only to overcome the hydraulic spring included in the door for positioning thereof.
This family of modular bars with small linear movements and flexible compression springs, commits, by sacrificing the pure competitiveness, to the reliability of its components seeking solutions in alloyed foundries specific for the involved elements with greater responsibility, generating solids of equal resistance.
The cascade tension reduction design, the implementation of the compensating compression spring and advantage levers for being actuated, result in a vector of minimal effort, and consequently in those electrical, in a low-energy consumption. The power supply needed for its control, with inhibition, does not exceed 3.5 W. In the case of power failure “under remote aperture”, with or without inhibition, the electrical panic bars instantaneously behave as RF mechanical bars.”
All guides of: frames, rocking shafts of the latch, lever stoppers and the movement of the synchronous shaft, are covered with polyamides suitable for collision and dimensional stability. This implementation provides minimum friction coefficients, greater reliability and significantly reduction of the noise pollution.
Locking mechanisms in horizontal spagnolettes (
This spagnolette 84 is topped with a cap 84′ which aims to adjust the different diameters of the spagnolette shank and guide tabs of the head supporting element, while serving as housing for a compression spring M84 function of which is to recover retainer element 86, after the unlock cycle.
Also, according to the spirit of the title, a guide supporting element 87 is generated, which is common for vertical and horizontal mechanisms, with crenellated design determining a three-point plane for adjusting to the spagnolette 84 with a diameter slightly greater than said shank that enables inserting a bushing 87′ for stiffening the guide supporting element 87, allowing no deviation at the time of attaching the supporting element 87 to the frame, then moving this bushing 87′ from the crenellations being positioned by gravity without interferences on the lower supporting elements of the spagnolettes. With this simple operation the alignment is established without producing any friction during the normal movement of the spagnolette.
The same philosophy allows a precise adjustment when attaching the spagnolettes 84 in their guide supporting element 83 through the screw, and pressing thereof on the second bushing 61′ located on the rod pin retaining the spagnolettes 61, once locked the spagnolette shank 84 this adjustment bushing 61′ is removed and discarded, being the combination well regulated.
Finally and in order to optimize the Standard EN1125, object of the present invention, a redesign on conventional locks has been made, including, for minimizing the friction on the latches, rolling planes.
The actuation on the “ground lock” is very graphic. It starts with a supporting element 88 with two crenellated embossments used as a “bed” for a solid impeller 88′ and in the enveloping 89 making up the sub-assembly, respecting the angles of incidence contemplated by the standard, a window is opened for the correct assembly of these three elements.
In the side lock, its increased complexity is due to the needed correction having thereof, according to the profiles wherein the different heights showed by the door implementing plans with respect to the frames, are installed.
In this adjustable side lock except for the enveloping adjustable side lock 90 the rest of the elements are made in the Standard EN1125.
It begins from a supporting element 91 jointly connected with a threaded and milling guide bushing 91′, this supporting element 91 crenellated in cross-section houses a rocker 92 bearing a double coil spring 93 and inserts into the crenellation of the supporting element 91 and retained by the rocker shaft 95, being attached through drill-holes 91″. This rocker 95 joins with sliding adjustment two male-female impellers 94, 94′ rigidly assembled. The position of the impellers 94-94′ with respect to the plane of incidence of the latch is controlled by a single screw 96 which acts on the radial addendum 92′ of the rocker, the pressure generated by the return spring 93 itself being sufficient for stabilizing the attachment of the screw 96 in the desired position. Once installed the frame supporting element 91 in the right place, the enveloping adjustable side lock 90 is attached to supporting element 91. This mechanism allows the adjustment and readjustment, in case of expanding the parameters implanted, without using the classic supplements of conventional locks.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P200802398 | Aug 2008 | ES | national |
This application is a Continuation of International application PCT/ES2009/070336, filed Aug. 7, 2009.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/ES2009/070336 | Aug 2009 | US |
| Child | 13022805 | US |
