AXIAL FLUX MOTOR WITH VARIABLE GAP

Abstract

An axial flux motor and a method for operating the same, in particular for driving at least one leaf element of a door, of a gate, of a window, of a person separation device and/or of a partition wall system, include a magnet unit and having a coil unit, with the magnet unit being designed so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis, and with a gap being designed between the magnet unit and the coil unit. An actuation unit is provided, with which the gap between the magnet unit and the coil unit is variable, in particular enlargeable.

Claims

1. An axial flux motor, for driving at least one leaf element of a door, of a gate, of a window, of a person separation device and/or of a partition wall system, comprising: a magnet unit and a coil unit, wherein the magnet unit is designed so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis, and wherein a gap is designed between the magnet unit and the coil unit, wherein an actuation unit is provided with which the gap between the magnet unit and the coil unit is variable.

2. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit is in interaction with the magnet unit such that the magnet unit is displaceable relative to the coil unit in the rotational axis by an activation of the actuation unit.

3. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit or another actuation unit is in interaction with the coil unit such that the coil unit is displaceable relative to the magnet unit in the rotational axis by an activation of the actuation unit.

4. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein a spring unit is provided which pre-tensions the magnet unit in the rotational axis with or against the coil unit or with or counter to the coil unit.

5. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the axial flux motor has an output shaft, wherein the magnet unit is connected to the output shaft and wherein the actuation unit is operatively connected to the output shaft.

6. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the axial flux motor has a housing, wherein the magnet unit and/or the coil unit is axially displaceable relative to the housing when the actuation unit is activated.

7. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit has an actuation arm which is operatively connected to the magnet unit and/or to the coil unit and/or to the output shaft.

8. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit has a lift generation means with which the magnet unit and/or the coil unit is displaceable in the rotational axis.

9. The axial flux motor according to claim 8, wherein the lift generation means is operatively connected to the actuation arm.

10. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the magnet unit and/or the coil unit have an axial working gap for an operating mode of the axial flux motor in which the magnet unit and/or the coil unit occupy a distance relative to one another which is unchangeable even in the case of an inactive actuation unit.

11. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the magnet unit and/or the coil unit have an axial resting gap for a rest mode of the axial flux motor in which the magnet unit and/or the coil unit have a distance relative to one another which is unchangeable even in the case of an inactive actuation unit.

12. The axial flux motor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit and/or the lift generation means is designed or in that the actuation unit is operatively connected to the magnet unit and/or to the coil unit such that it occupies a stable position in the operating mode for the axial working gap and in the rest mode for the axial resting gap such that in both positions the lift generation means can be de-energized.

13. A method for operating an axial flux motor according to claim 1, the method includes the following steps: activating the actuation unit, axially displacing the magnet unit and/or the coil unit and transferring the axial flux motor to the operating mode, operating the axial flux motor, terminating the operation of the axial flux motor, activating the actuation unit, and axially displacing the magnet unit and/or the coil unit and transferring the axial flux motor to the rest mode.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the lift generation means is powered only to change between the operating mode and the rest mode of the axial flux motor.

15. A drive of at least one leaf element of a door, of a gate, of a window, of a person separation device and/or of a partition wall system, having an axial flux motor designed according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Further measures that improve the disclosure will be outlined in greater detail below together with the description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure on the basis of the figures, in which is shown:

[0035] FIG. 1 a schematic view of an axial flux motor having an axially movable magnet unit in an operating mode, in which a gap forms a smaller axial working gap between a magnet unit and a coil unit,

[0036] FIG. 2 the axial flux motor according to FIG. 1 in a rest mode, in which the gap between the magnet unit and the coil unit forms a larger axial resting gap,

[0037] FIG. 3 a schematic view of an axial flux motor having an axially movable coil unit in an operating mode,

[0038] FIG. 4 the axial flux motor according to FIG. 3 in a rest mode, in which the gap between the magnet unit and the coil unit is larger and forms an axial resting gap,

[0039] FIG. 5 a further exemplary embodiment of an axial flux motor in a schematic representation with an axially movable coil unit, with the actuation unit pivoting an output shaft of the axial flux motor, with the representation showing the operating mode of the motor, and

[0040] FIG. 6 the representation of the axial flux motor according to FIG. 5 with an enlarged gap between magnet unit and coil unit for a rest mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show in different switching states an exemplary embodiment of an axial flux motor 1, which can for example be used to drive a leaf element of a door, of a gate, of a window, of a person separation device, such as a turnstile, or for example also to drive individual leaf elements of a partition wall system. The axial flux motor 1 is represented schematically and has substantially a magnet unit 10 and a coil unit 11 and both units 10, 11 are configured around a rotational axis 12, and for example the magnet unit 10 is connected to an output shaft 16 in a rotationally-rigid manner. Consequently, the coil unit 11 is rigidly connected to a housing 17 of the axial flux motor 1.

[0042] The magnet unit 10 has a plurality of permanent magnets 26 and the coil unit 11 has a plurality of coils 27. The permanent magnets 26 are attached on a magnet support 24 and the coils 27 on a coil support 25.

[0043] A gap 13 is formed between the magnet unit 10 and the coil unit 11. The gap 13 is designed as an axial working gap 13′ in FIG. 1 and, according to

[0044] FIG. 2, the gap 13 is designed as an axial resting gap 13″. In order to change the gap 13 between the working gap 13′ according to FIG. 1 and the resting gap 13″ according to FIG. 2, i.e. to vary the distance between the magnet unit 10 and the coil unit 11, an actuation unit 14 designed according to the disclosure is used which, according to the represented exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, is operatively connected to the magnet unit 10 such that it is changeable in the axial position relative to the coil unit 11 and therefore also relative to the housing 17. By activating the actuation unit 14, the magnet unit 10 can be changed in position along the rotational axis 12.

[0045] To this end, the actuation unit 14 has an actuation arm 18 which is connected to a lift generation means 19. The lift generation means 19 is for example designed as a solenoid coil and the solenoid is retraced in FIG. 1 and extended in FIG. 2, as the arrow in FIG. 2 represents. As a result, the actuation arm 18 rotates in a joint 21, with the actuation arm 18 having a driver gable 23 in order to act for example on the output shaft 16, and in order to displace the magnet unit 10 along the rotational axis 12.

[0046] On the side facing away from the driver gable 23, the actuation arm 18 has a linkage 22 on which the anchor of the lift generation means 19 acts.

[0047] If the magnet unit 10 with the permanent magnets 26 is displaced along the rotational axis 12 such that the distance to the coil unit 11 is enlarged, this occurs with compression of the spring elements 28 of the spring unit 15, with the spring elements 28 being supported on a spring plate 20. This can for example take place by powering the lift generation means 19. If, according to FIG. 2, the axial flux motor 1 is located in the rest mode such that the axial flux motor 1 is de-energized, a locking device can serve in a manner not represented such that the lift generation means 19 can also be de-energized again and the state according to FIG. 2, in which the axial flux motor 1 is located in the rest mode, takes place so as to maintain the compression of the spring elements 28 and, in this state, the axial resting gap 13″ is set such that, when the output shaft 16, which is for example coupled to a door leaf, is manually rotated, only a small cogging torque results, which is notably lower than in the case of an axial working gap 13′ according to FIG. 1.

[0048] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative exemplary embodiment of the axial flux motor 1, in which the actuation unit 14 is operatively connected to the coil unit 11 via a pin 29. If the actuation unit 14 is activated with the actuation arm 18 in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, the gap 13 between the magnet unit 10 and the coil unit 11 is enlarged according to this exemplary embodiment, and the gap 13 changes from an axial working gap 13′ according to FIG. 3 to an axial resting gap 13″ according to FIG. 4 such that the axial flux motor 1 is transferred from an operating mode to a rest mode.

[0049] The magnet unit 10 with the magnet support 24 and the permanent magnets 26 attached thereto remains unchanged in position relative to the housing 17 along the rotational axis 12, while the coil unit 11 with the coil support 25 and the coils 27 attached thereto is displaced along the rotational axis 12. This occurs when the actuation unit 14 is activated in the direction of the arrow shown, by the actuation arm 18 of the actuation unit 14 acting on the pin 29, which is arranged on the rear side of the coil unit 11 and performs the lifting movement with the coil unit 11.

[0050] As a result, the gap 13 is enlarged in the same manner from a working gap 13′ to a resting gap 13″, such that the operating mode according to FIG. 3 enables a normal operation of the axial flux motor 1 and the rest mode according to FIG. 4 enables a simplified manual rotation of the output shaft 16, which is connected to the magnet unit 10 comprising the magnet support 24 and the permanent magnets 26, without larger cogging torques between the coils 27 of the coil unit 11 and the permanent magnets 26 of the magnet unit 10 making the rotation of the output shaft 16 difficult.

[0051] FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternative configuration of the actuation unit 14, with the coil unit 11 also being displaceable along the rotational axis 12 according to this exemplary embodiment, while the magnet unit 10 remains non-displaced relative to the housing 17 and therefore occupies a fixed position in relation to the housing 17.

[0052] The actuation unit 14 has an actuation arm 18, which extends tapering perpendicularly on the rotational axis 12 and is displaceable in this extension, and the displacement can in turn be activated with the lift generation means 19. A connecting rod 30 is introduced in a pin 29, which is rigidly connected to the coil unit 11, and, in the position according to FIG. 5, the actuation arm 18 is in a first position which moves the coil unit 11 in the direction of the magnet unit 10 via the obliquely running connecting rod 30 such that the axial working gap 13′ is set. If the lift generation means 19 is activated, and the actuation arm 18 is displaced further forwards in the direction of the rotational axis 12, the pin 29 is displaced in the rotational axis 12 via the connecting rod 30 such that the coil unit 11 is also displaced. As a result, the gap 13 in relation to an axial resting gap 13″ is enlarged according to FIG. 6, which represents the rest mode of the axial flux motor 1 in this respect.

[0053] The design of the disclosure is not restricted to the preferred exemplary embodiment indicated above. In fact, a number of variants is conceivable, which makes use of the solution represented, even in the case of embodiments that are designed fundamentally differently. All features and/or advantages emerging from the claims, the description or the drawings, including constructive details or spatial arrangements, may be essential to the disclosure by themselves and in the most varied combinations.