JP2024052997A - Shutter device and setting method - Google Patents

Abstract

To set an upper limit position and lower limit position easily.SOLUTION: A shutter device comprises: a drive control part starting an opening operation of a shutter curtain when a prescribed operation is executed to an operation device and terminating the opening operation and starting a closing operation when an overload state is detected during the opening operation; a first processing part setting an upper limit position on the basis of a current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the opening operation; and a second processing part setting a lower limit position on the basis of the current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the closing operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a shutter device and a setting method.

2. Description of the Related Art There is a shutter device that opens and closes a shutter curtain between an upper limit position (fully open position) and a lower limit position (fully closed position) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Incidentally, when installing a shutter device, it is necessary to set an upper limit position and a lower limit position.

JP 2011-89329 A

The upper and lower limit positions of the shutter curtain are set by an installer or user operating a remote control device while visually checking the position of the shutter curtain, moving the shutter curtain to the desired position, and registering the current position of the shutter curtain. Therefore, in order to set the upper and lower limit positions for each of multiple shutter devices, the above procedure must be performed for each shutter device, which is cumbersome for installers and users.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a shutter device and setting method that allows the upper and lower limit positions to be easily set.

(1) One aspect of the present invention is a shutter device that opens and closes a shutter curtain between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, comprising: a motor that drives the shutter curtain to open and close; and a shutter control device that controls the motor to perform the opening and closing operations and executes overload detection to detect an overload state of the motor during the opening and closing operations. The shutter control device comprises a drive control unit that starts the opening operation of the shutter curtain when a predetermined operation is performed on an operating device, and stops the opening operation and automatically starts the closing operation when the overload state is detected during the opening operation; a first processing unit that sets the upper limit position based on the current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the opening operation; and a second processing unit that starts the overload detection during the closing operation when the position of the shutter curtain passes a threshold value, and sets the lower limit position to a position that is a first distance away in the opening direction from the current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection.

(2) In the shutter device of (1) above, when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the closing operation, the drive control unit may stop the closing operation of the shutter curtain and move the shutter curtain to the lower limit position set by the second processing unit.

(3) In the shutter device of (1) above, when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the closing operation, the drive control unit may stop the closing operation of the shutter curtain and open the shutter curtain by a second distance smaller than the first distance.

(4) A shutter device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further comprising an output unit that outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation of the motor, and a load detection unit that counts the number of pulses of the pulse signal, and the second processing unit may set the lower limit position to a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined number of pulses from the count value of the pulse signal when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the closing operation.

(5) In the shutter device of (4) above, the second processing unit may determine that the motor is in an overload state when the amount of change between the pulse width of the pulse signal corresponding to the current count value and the pulse width of the pulse signal corresponding to the count value two or more years earlier exceeds a predetermined value one or more times.

(6) A setting method in which a shutter device sets an upper limit position and a lower limit position of a shutter curtain, the setting method including: an opening operation step for starting an opening operation of the shutter curtain when a predetermined operation is performed on an operating device; a first detection step for performing a first overload detection for detecting an overload state of a motor that drives the shutter curtain during the opening operation; a first stopping step for stopping the opening operation when the overload state is detected in the first detection step; a first setting step for setting the current position of the shutter curtain stopped in the first stopping step to the upper limit position; and a closing step for starting a closing operation of the shutter curtain when the upper limit position is set. The setting method includes an operation step, a second detection step of starting a second overload detection to detect an overload state of the motor when the position of the shutter curtain passes a threshold value during the closing operation, a second stop step of stopping the closing operation when the overload state is detected by the second overload detection, and a second setting step of setting the lower limit position to a position a predetermined distance away in the opening direction from the current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the second overload detection, thereby setting the lower limit position to a state in which the shutter curtain is fully closed and the deflection of the shutter curtain that occurs in the second stop step is eliminated.

As described above, the present invention makes it easy to set the upper and lower limit positions.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a shutter system 1 including a shutter device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a shutter control device 10 according to the present embodiment. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit 13 for executing a return process of the shutter control device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for setting an upper limit position Pu and a lower limit position Pl according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a method for setting an upper limit position Pu and a lower limit position Pl according to the present embodiment.

The shutter device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a shutter system 1 including a shutter device according to this embodiment.
The shutter system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a shutter device 2 and an operation device 3 .

The shutter device 2 is an electric shutter device that opens or closes openings such as windows and doors in a building. The shutter device 2 is equipped with a shutter curtain 4, and can open or close the above openings by opening or closing the shutter curtain 4 based on an operation signal from the operation device 3.

The operation device 3 is connected to the shutter device 2, which is the object of operation, via a wired or wireless connection, and is capable of mutual communication with the shutter device 2. The operation device 3 is, for example, a remote control device that can be operated by a user or worker and has a means for inputting an operation signal to the shutter device 2.

Specifically, when a user presses any of the switches on the operation device 3, the operation device 3 outputs an operation signal, which is a signal corresponding to the switch, to the shutter device 2.
For example, when the open switch SWo is operated, the operation device 3 transmits a first operation signal to the shutter device 2 instructing the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4. When the close switch SWc is operated, the operation device 3 transmits a second operation signal to the shutter device 2 instructing the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4. Furthermore, when the stop switch SWt is operated, the operation device 3 transmits a stop signal to the shutter device 2 instructing the stopping of the opening or closing operation of the shutter curtain 4.

Furthermore, when a predetermined operation is performed by the user, the operation device 3 transmits a setting signal to the shutter device 2. For example, the predetermined operation is an operation different from a short press operation of one of the open switch SWo, the close switch SWc, and the stop switch SWt. Specifically, the predetermined operation is a simultaneous press of two or more switches of the open switch SWo, the close switch SWc, and the stop switch SWt, or a long press of one or more switches.
However, the above-mentioned predetermined operation is not limited to pressing two or more of the open switch SWo, close switch SWc, and stop switch SWt simultaneously, or pressing and holding one or more of the switches. For example, the operation device 3 may be provided with an initial setting button. The above-mentioned predetermined operation may be pressing the initial setting button. For example, the initial setting button may be provided on the front or rear surface of the operation device 3. Furthermore, when the initial setting button is provided on the rear surface of the operation device 3, for example, the initial setting button is covered by a rear cover and can be operated by removing the rear cover. That is, the initial setting button is provided in a position that is exposed when the rear cover is removed.
The initial setting button may be provided in a battery box that houses a battery. In this case, the initial setting button can be operated by a user by removing a battery cover that is configured to be attachable to the main body case of the controller device 3 so as to cover the battery box from the rear side of the controller device 3. In other words, the initial setting button is provided in a position that is exposed when the battery cover is removed.
Here, the operation device 3 may be a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. In this case, the predetermined operation may be a command operation for initial setting in an application of the mobile information terminal (e.g., a smartphone application).

Next, an example of the schematic configuration of the shutter device 2 according to this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shutter device 2 includes a shutter curtain 4, guide rails 5a and 5b, and a shutter box 6.

The shutter curtain 4 has multiple long slats 4a connected in the vertical direction and a baseboard section 4b at the bottom end.

The baseboard portion 4b is a long member having a rectangular cross section connected to the lowest slat 4a. The baseboard portion 4b is formed to protrude so as to come into contact with the slat (not shown) or the shutter box 6 when the shutter curtain 4 is in a fully open state (upper limit position Pu). That is, the baseboard portion 4b comes into contact with the slat (not shown) or the shutter box 6 when the shutter curtain 4 is in a fully open state. On the other hand, the baseboard portion 4b comes into contact with the lower frame of the frame body of the shutter device 2 or the floor surface when the shutter curtain 4 is in a fully closed state (lower limit position Pl).
In addition, the above-mentioned shim is a partition member for the opening of the shutter device 2 formed when the shutter curtain 4 rises, and may be provided at the bottom of the shutter box 6.

The guide rails 5a and 5b are provided as a pair at both ends of the shutter curtain 4 in the width direction and are erected perpendicular to the bottom surface. The guide rails 5a and 5b regulate the lateral displacement of each slat 4a that constitutes the shutter curtain 4.

The shutter box 6 is provided on the top of the shutter device 2. This shutter box 6 rewinds (when the shutter curtain 4 is closed) or winds (when the shutter curtain 4 is opened) the shutter curtain 4.

An example of the schematic configuration of the shutter box 6 according to this embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the shutter box 6 includes a shaft 7, a motor 8, an output unit 9, and a shutter control device 10.

The shaft 7 is connected to the upper end of the shutter curtain 4 and to the motor 8. The shaft 7 is driven to rotate in forward and reverse directions by the motor 8. The shutter curtain 4 is unwound or wound according to the rotation of the shaft 7. The shutter curtain 4 wound around the shaft 7 is accommodated in the shutter box 6.

The motor 8 is a drive source that drives the shaft 7 to rotate and open/close the shutter curtain 4, and is composed of, for example, a DC motor. The motor 8 rotates forward, reverse, or stops rotating based on a drive signal from the shutter control device 10.

The output unit 9 has a function of outputting the driving status of the motor 8. The output unit 9 is, for example, an encoder built into the motor 8. The output unit 9 outputs a pulse signal (hereinafter referred to as a "position pulse") corresponding to the rotation of the motor 8 to the shutter control device 10. For example, the output unit 9 outputs one position pulse to the shutter control device 10 when the motor 8 rotates once. Note that the output unit 9 is not limited to an encoder, and can be arbitrarily selected as long as it has a configuration that can grasp the amount of rotation of the winding shaft and the motor 8, such as measuring the amount of rotation angle of the motor 8.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the shutter control device 10 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the shutter control device 10 includes a communication unit 11 , a drive unit 12 , and a control unit 13 .

The communication unit 11 transmits and receives information by communicating with the operation device 3. The communication method of the communication unit 11 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, a wireless communication method such as the short-range wireless communication standard RF4CE (Radio Frequency for Consumer Electronics) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used.

The drive unit 12 generates a drive signal according to commands from the control unit 13 and outputs it to the motor 8 to drive or stop the motor 8.

The control unit 13 is composed of a microprocessor such as a CPU or MPU, a microcontroller such as an MCU, a storage device, etc., and controls the drive of the motor 8 in response to the operation of the switch of the operating device 3.

The control unit 13 controls the rotation of the motor 8 based on an operation signal from the operating device 3 to perform an opening or closing operation (hereinafter simply referred to as "opening and closing operation") of the shutter curtain 4 between an upper limit position Pu and a lower limit position Pl. Here, the upper limit position Pu is the position where the shutter curtain 4 is fully open (fully open position). The lower limit position Pl is the position where the shutter curtain 4 is fully closed (fully closed position).

When the control unit 13 receives a first operation signal from the operating device 3 via the communication unit 11, it outputs a command (hereinafter referred to as an "open command") to the drive unit 12 to wind the shutter curtain 4 around the shaft 7 and open it. This causes the drive unit 12 to rotate the motor 8 in the forward direction and open the shutter curtain 4.

When the control unit 13 receives a second operation signal from the operating device 3 via the communication unit 11, the control unit 13 outputs a command to the drive unit 12 to unwind the shutter curtain 4 from the shaft 7 and perform a closing operation (hereinafter referred to as a "closing command"). This causes the drive unit 12 to reverse the motor 8 and perform a closing operation of the shutter curtain 4.

When the control unit 13 receives a stop signal from the operating device 3, it outputs a command to stop the operation of the shutter curtain 4 (hereinafter referred to as a "stop command") to the drive unit 12. This causes the drive unit 12 to stop the rotation of the motor 8 and stop the opening and closing operation.

When the control unit 13 receives a setting signal from the operation device 3, the control unit 13 transitions to a setting mode in which the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl are set.
In the setting mode, the control unit 13 controls the motor 8 to perform opening and closing operations, and also executes overload detection to detect an overload state of the motor 8. Then, in the setting mode, if the control unit 13 detects an overload state of the motor 8 during an opening operation of the shutter curtain 4, it sets an upper limit position Pu based on the current position of the shutter curtain 4, and if the control unit 13 detects an overload state of the motor 8 during a closing operation of the shutter curtain 4, it sets a lower limit position Pl based on the current position of the shutter curtain 4.

The functional units of the control unit 13 for executing the process of the setting mode according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 13 for executing the return process of the shutter control device 10 according to this embodiment.

The following describes the functional parts of the control unit 13 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 13 includes a drive control unit 14, a load detection unit 15, a processing unit 16, and a storage unit 17.

When a predetermined operation is performed on the operating device 3, the drive control unit 14 outputs an open command to the drive unit 12 to start the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4. Then, when the drive control unit 14 detects an overload state of the motor 8 by overload detection during the opening operation, it outputs a stop command to stop the opening operation, and outputs a close command to the drive unit 12 to start the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4. When the drive control unit 14 detects an overload state of the motor 8 by overload detection during the closing operation, it outputs a stop command to stop the closing operation.

The load detection unit 15 detects the load on the motor 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "motor load"). The load detection unit 15 in this embodiment includes a counter 151 and a load measurement unit 152.

The counter 151 counts the number of position pulses. The count value n of this pulse number corresponds to the current position of the shutter curtain 4.

The load measurement unit 152 measures the motor load based on the position pulse output from the output unit 9. Specifically, for example, the load measurement unit 152 measures the pulse width An of the position pulse output from the output unit 9 as the motor load for each position pulse (for each count value n of the counter 151). For example, the pulse width An is the pulse width of the position pulse when the motor 8 rotates once.

Here, the pulse width of the position pulse increases as the rotation speed of the motor 8 decreases, and decreases as the rotation speed of the motor 8 increases. That is, when the shutter curtain 4 reaches the upper limit position Pu and the baseboard 4b comes into contact with the bamboo grass or the shutter box 6, a load is applied to the motor 8, and the motor 8 becomes overloaded. Therefore, the rotation speed of the motor 8 decreases, and the pulse width of the position pulse increases.
Furthermore, if the shutter curtain 4 reaches the lower limit position P1 and the baseboard portion 4b abuts against the floor or the sill, and the closing operation continues, the baseboard portion 4b presses against the floor or the sill. As a result, a load is applied to the motor 8, and the motor 8 becomes overloaded. This causes the rotation speed of the motor 8 to slow down, and the pulse width of the position pulse to increase.
If the shutter curtain 4 continues to close after it reaches the lower limit position P1 and the baseboard 4b abuts against the floor or the sill, the slats will bend from below. This puts a load on the motor 8, causing it to overload. This slows down the rotation speed of the motor 8, and increases the pulse width of the position pulse.

Therefore, the load measurement unit 152 calculates the pulse width An of the motor 8 as the motor load by measuring the pulse width of the position pulse for each position pulse (each count value n). The load measurement unit 152 associates the count value n with the motor load and outputs them to the processing unit 16. That is, the load measurement unit 152 outputs the count value n and the pulse width (motor load) An of the position pulse corresponding to that count value n to the processing unit 16. Furthermore, the load measurement unit 152 associates the position information n with the pulse width An of the position pulse corresponding to that position information n and stores it in the storage unit 17 as load information.

In the setting mode, the processing unit 16 sets the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl by detecting an overload. Specifically, the processing unit 16 includes a first processing unit 161 and a second processing unit 162.

The first processing unit 161 executes overload detection (hereinafter referred to as "first overload detection") during the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 in the setting mode. Then, when the first processing unit 161 detects an overload state of the motor 8 by the first overload detection, it sets the upper limit position Pu based on the current position of the shutter curtain 4. For example, the first processing unit 161 may set the count value n when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the first overload detection to the upper limit position Pu. For example, the first processing unit 161 may reset the count value n when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the first overload detection to "0", and set the count value n reset to "0" to the upper limit position Pu.
The first overload detection is a process of determining whether or not the motor 8 is in an overload state based on the motor load output from the load detection unit 15. For example, the first processing unit 161 determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state when the motor load or the rate of change of the motor load exceeds a predetermined threshold th1.

Here, in the first overload detection, the first processing unit 161 detects the overload state of the motor 8 not at the position (upper limit position Pu) where the baseboard portion 4b abuts against the magus or the shutter box 6, but at the position where the shutter curtain 4 is opened from the upper limit position Pu and tightened (hereinafter referred to as the "tightening position"). The deviation ΔH1 between the tightening position and the upper limit position Pu is represented by the count number n1 of the position pulses between the tightening position and the upper limit position Pu, and can be obtained in advance by experiments, the size of the shutter curtain 4, etc. Therefore, the first processing unit 161 may obtain the upper limit position Pu from the tightening position using the known deviation ΔH1. For example, the first processing unit 161 may set the upper limit position Pu by subtracting or adding the count number n1 from the count value n when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the first overload detection.

For example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the operating device 3, the drive control unit 14 outputs an open command to the drive unit 12 to start the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4. Then, when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by overload detection during the opening operation, the drive control unit 14 outputs a stop command to stop the opening operation. At this time, the current position of the shutter curtain 4 is the tightening position. Therefore, the drive control unit 14 lowers the shutter curtain 4 at the tightening position by the count number n1 and stops it. Then, the first processing unit 161 may reset the current position of the shutter curtain 4 that has been closed by the count number n1, that is, the current count value n, to "0", and set the count value n reset to "0" as the upper limit position Pu. The drive control unit 14 automatically executes the closing operation when the upper limit position Pu is set.
However, if the deviation ΔH1 is tolerable, the shutter curtain 4 at the tightening position may be set as the upper limit position Pu without lowering the shutter curtain 4 at the tightening position by the count number n1.

The second processing unit 162 executes overload detection (hereinafter referred to as “second overload detection”) during the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4 in the setting mode. Then, when the second processing unit 162 detects an overload state of the motor 8 by the second overload detection, it sets the lower limit position Pl based on the current position of the shutter curtain 4.
For example, the second processing unit 162 may set the count value n to the lower limit position Pl when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the second overload detection.
The second overload detection is a process of determining whether or not the motor 8 is in an overload state based on the motor load output from the load detection unit 15. For example, the second processing unit 162 determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state when the motor load or the rate of change of the motor load exceeds a predetermined threshold th2.
The first overload detection and the second overload detection may be performed by the same method, or may be performed by different methods.

Here, in the second overload detection, the second processing unit 162 detects the overload state of the motor 8 not at the position (lower limit position Pl) where the baseboard portion 4b abuts against the floor surface or the lower frame, but at the position (hereinafter referred to as the "push-in position") where the shutter curtain 4 is further closed from the lower limit position Pl and the shutter curtain 4 pushes the floor surface or the lower frame. That is, the shutter curtain 4 at the push-in position is deflected from below, and a deviation ΔH2 occurs between the push-in position, which is the position where the overload state of the motor 8 is detected in the second overload detection during the closing operation, and the lower limit position where there is no deflection. The deviation ΔH2 between the push-in position and the lower limit position Pl is represented by the count number n2 of the position pulse between the push-in position and the lower limit position Pl, and can be obtained in advance by experiments, the size of the shutter curtain 4, etc. Therefore, the second processing unit 162 can obtain the lower limit position Pl from the push-in position using the known count number n2. For example, the second processing unit 162 may set the lower limit position Pl to a value obtained by subtracting the count number n2 (ΔH2) from the count value n when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the second overload detection. However, if the deviation ΔH2 is tolerable, the second processing unit 162 may set the lower limit position Pl to the count value n when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the second overload detection. The count number n2 corresponds to the "first distance" of the present invention.
In this way, the second processing unit 162 may set the lower limit position Pl to a position that is a first distance away in the opening direction from the current position of the shutter curtain 4 when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by overload detection during the closing operation. Here, the opening direction is the direction in which the shutter curtain 4 moves due to the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4, and in this embodiment, is the direction in which the shutter box 6 is arranged.

The storage unit 17 stores information on the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl set by the processing unit 16.
In addition, when the processing unit 16 receives the setting signal, if the information of the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl has already been stored in the storage unit 17, the processing unit 16 may delete the stored information of the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl. For example, if the upper limit position Pl and the lower limit position Pu have already been set when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation device, the first processing unit 161 may execute an initialization process to initialize the settings of the upper limit position Pl and the lower limit position Pu. In this case, the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 may be started after the initialization process.
In the setting mode, the storage section 17 stores information in which the position information n is associated with the pulse width An of the position pulse corresponding to the position information n, that is, the load information, for each piece of position information n.
For example, the storage unit 17 is a non-volatile memory such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or a Solid State Drive (SSD).

Next, a method for setting the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl of the control unit 13 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for setting the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for setting the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl according to this embodiment. Note that in the following description of the setting method, the first overload detection and the second overload detection are overload detections performed by different methods. Furthermore, the deviation ΔH1 is assumed to be small enough to be negligible.

First, when the control unit 13 receives a setting signal from the operation device 3, it transitions to the setting mode. When the control unit 13 transitions to the setting mode, it executes an initialization process (step S101). Then, the control unit 13 (drive control unit 14) executes the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 (step S102). Here, during the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4, the control unit 13 counts up the count value n of the position pulse with the counter 151.

When the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 is started in step S103, the first processing unit 161 executes a first overload detection to determine whether or not the motor 8 is in an overload state based on the pulse width An corresponding to the count value n (step S103). For example, the first processing unit 161 acquires the pulse width An corresponding to the count value n for each count value n, and determines whether or not the pulse width An or the rate of change of the pulse width An is equal to or greater than the threshold value th1. Then, when the first processing unit 161 determines that the pulse width An or the rate of change of the pulse width An is equal to or greater than the threshold value th1, it determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state. On the other hand, when the first processing unit 161 determines that the pulse width An or the rate of change of the pulse width An is less than the threshold value th1, it determines that the motor 8 is not in an overload state. When the first processing unit 161 determines that the motor 8 is not in an overload state, it again determines whether or not the motor 8 is in an overload state based on the pulse width An of the count value n = n + 1. Therefore, the process of step S103 continues until it is determined that the motor 8 is in an overload state during the opening operation.

If it is determined in step S103 that the motor 8 is in an overloaded state, the drive control unit 14 stops the rotation of the motor 8 and stops the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 (step S104). Then, the first processing unit 161 sets the current position of the shutter curtain stopped in step S104, i.e., the current count value n, to "0" (step S105). Here, n = "0" represents the upper limit position Pu. Therefore, setting the count value n to "0" is synonymous with setting the upper limit position Pu.

When the upper limit position Pu is set, the drive control unit 14 executes the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4 (step S106).
The load detection unit 15 counts up the count value n by "+1" each time it acquires a position pulse output by the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4 (step S107). This count value n corresponds to the distance that the shutter curtain 4 has descended from the upper limit position Pu as a reference.
The load detection unit 15 also determines a pulse width An corresponding to the count value n, and outputs the count value n and the pulse width (motor load) An of the position pulse corresponding to the count value n to the processing unit 16 for each count value n.

In the opening operation in step S106, if the count value n passes a threshold value nth shown below, the second processing unit 162 executes a second overload detection based on the count value n and the pulse width An.
First, the second processing unit 162 determines a calculation value Bn for each count value n based on the following formula (1) as the second overload detection (step S108).
Bn = An - A (n - P1) ... (1)

This calculated value Bn is the difference between the current An and the pulse width A(n-P1) before P1 rotations of the motor 8. In other words, the calculated value Bn is the difference between the current An and the pulse width A(n-P1) before P1. Here, P1 is a fixed value that is set in advance. However, it is preferable that the pulse width A(n-P1) is not the count value immediately before n, but the count value two or more before. For example, when the current count value is n=100 and P1=50, the second processing unit 162 reads out the load information of _A50 from the storage unit 17, and calculates the measured value _B100 = _A100 - _A50 at the count value n=100.

Next, the second processing unit 162 judges whether the current count value n is equal to or greater than the threshold value nth. If the second processing unit 162 judges that the current count value n is equal to or greater than the threshold value nth, it judges that the position of the shutter curtain 4 is approaching the lower limit position Pl, and executes the process of step S110. On the other hand, if the second processing unit 162 judges that the current count value n is less than the threshold value nth, it proceeds to the process of step S107.
The threshold value nth is preset and can be set arbitrarily. For example, the threshold value nth is preset by experiment. When the shutter curtain 4 passes the threshold value nth, the second overload detection is started. For example, the threshold value nth may be the minimum number of pulses in the manufacturing limit of the shutter curtain 4, or may be a value for ignoring data variations in the initial movement of the motor 8.

When the second processing unit 162 determines that the current count value n is equal to or greater than the threshold value nth, it determines whether the measured value Bn exceeds the threshold value S (step S110). Then, when the number of times i that the measured value Bn has exceeded the threshold value S (hereinafter referred to as the "determination number") exceeds a specified number of times ith (1 or more), the second processing unit 162 determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state. In other words, when the measured value Bn has exceeded the threshold value S (ith+1) times in a row, the second processing unit 162 determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state. Note that the threshold value S may be a fixed value, or may be a variable linked to the count value n or the measured value Bn.

Specifically, if the measured value Bn exceeds the threshold value S (step S110: YES), the second processing unit 162 increments the number of judgments i by 1 (step S111). On the other hand, if the measured value Bn is equal to or less than the threshold value S (step S110: NO), the second processing unit 162 resets the number of judgments i to 0 (step S112) and proceeds to the process of step S107.

After the processing of step S111, the second processing unit 162 determines whether the number of judgments i has exceeded the specified number of times i th (step S113). If the second processing unit 162 determines that the number of judgments i has exceeded the specified number of times i th, it determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state and executes the processing of step S114. If the second processing unit 162 determines that the number of judgments i has not exceeded the specified number of times i th, it determines that the motor 8 is not in an overload state and proceeds to the processing of step S107.

In step S114, the second processing unit 162 sets the lower limit position Pl based on the count value n (hereinafter referred to as the "count value nx") when it is determined that the number of judgments i has exceeded the specified number of judgments ith (step S114). This count value nx is the count value n when the shutter curtain 4 is in the pressed-in position.

For example, the second processing unit 162 obtains a count value nd from the count value nx using the following formula (2), and sets the count value nd to the lower limit position Pl.
nd = nx - n2 ... (2)
The count number n2 may be a fixed value obtained by an experiment or the like, or may be the sum of a variable calculated from a fixed value obtained by an experiment or the like and the threshold value S. When the count number n2 is the sum of a variable calculated from a fixed value obtained by an experiment or the like and the threshold value S, the lower limit position Pl without the above-mentioned deflection can be obtained with higher accuracy without variation due to size.

For example, the second processing unit 162 may obtain a count value nd from the count value nx using the following formula (3), and set the count value nd to the lower limit position Pl.
nd = nx - P2 - S / P3 ... (3)

Here, P2 and P3 may be fixed values obtained through experiments or the like.
The formula (3) is a formula that can obtain the lower limit position Pl without the above-mentioned deflection with more accuracy without variation due to the size of the shutter curtain 4. The inventors of the present application have found that, regardless of the size of the shutter curtain 4, the load rises after a certain time (corresponding to the fixed value P2) after the shutter curtain 4 reaches the lower limit position Pl, and the rising angle of the load is constant (i.e., the inclination is constant). The inventors of the present application have found that the larger the threshold value S, the longer it takes to detect an overload and the greater the deflection. Therefore, in the formula (3), the fixed value P2 and S/P3 linked to the threshold value S are subtracted from the count value nx, so that the lower limit position Pl without the above-mentioned deflection can be calculated with more accuracy without variation due to size.

When the shutter curtain 4 reaches the pushed-in position, there may be a bending of the shutter curtain 4. Therefore, when the count value nd is calculated (step S114) or when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected (step S113: YES), the drive control unit 14 stops the closing operation of the motor 8 and performs a "bending eliminating operation" to open the shutter curtain 4 from the pushed-in position (count value nx) to the lower limit position Pl (count value nd) in order to eliminate the bending (step S115).
In the deflection eliminating operation, the motor is operated in the opening direction, but in reality, there may be a deviation of several pulses (hereinafter referred to as "Δxpls") between the stop command position and the stop position. Therefore, the drive control unit 14 may adjust the "deflection eliminating operation" by stopping the motor at the lower limit position Pl + Δxpls. This Δxpls is a value smaller than the count number n2.
The state where the deflection has been eliminated, i.e., the state of the shutter curtain 4 where the deflection elimination operation has been completed, may be any state in which the deflection of the shutter curtain 4 has been alleviated when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected in the second overload detection. In other words, the state of the shutter curtain 4 where the deflection elimination operation has been completed is a state in which the shutter curtain 4 is in a fully closed state and the deflection of the shutter curtain 4 has been alleviated when the overload state of the motor 8 is detected in the second overload detection. The state in which the deflection of the shutter curtain 4 has been alleviated includes a state in which there is no deflection and a state in which the deflection is to the extent that is tolerable in the shutter device 2.

When the deflection elimination operation is completed, the second processing unit 162 stores the set lower limit position Pl (count value nd) in the storage unit 17 (step S116) and ends the setting mode. The second processing unit 162 may set the current position (count value nd) of the shutter curtain 4 at the time when the deflection elimination operation is completed to the lower limit position Pl.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

(Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the shutter curtain 4 may be made of any material or structure. For example, the shutter curtain 4 may be made of multiple slats 4a, may be made of a sheet, or may be made up of only a portion of multiple slats 4a.

(Variation 2) In the above embodiment, the load detection unit 15 uses the pulse width of the position pulse as the motor load, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pulse width of the position pulse does not have to be used as long as the motor load can be detected. For example, the load detection unit 15 may detect the motor load by detecting the torque of the motor 8 using a known technique.

(Variation 3) In the above embodiment, the control unit 13 executes a deflection eliminating operation, but if the shutter curtain 4 does not deflect in the pressed-in position or the deflection is tolerable, the deflection eliminating operation does not need to be executed.

(Variation 4) In the above embodiment, the control unit 13 transitions to the setting mode when a setting signal is received, but this is not limited thereto. The control unit 13 may transition to the setting mode when an operation signal is received from the operating device 3 when the lower limit position Pl is not stored in the storage unit 17.

(Variation 5) In the above embodiment, the operation device 3 outputs a setting signal to the shutter device 2 when a predetermined operation is performed, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the operation device 3 may be provided with a dedicated switch for setting the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl. Then, the operation device 3 may output a setting signal to the shutter device 2 when the switch is operated.

(Variation 6) In the above embodiment, the second processing unit 162 determines that the motor 8 is in an overload state when the measurement value Bn exceeds the threshold value S for (ith+1) consecutive times, but is not limited to this. The second processing unit 162 may determine that the motor 8 is in an overload state when the measurement value Bn exceeds the threshold value S one or more times.

(Variation 7) In the above embodiment, the second processing unit 162 may estimate the lower limit position Pl without deflection from the count value nx using deep learning or IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

As described above, the shutter device 2 according to the embodiment starts the opening operation of the shutter curtain 4 and executes the first overload detection when a predetermined operation is performed on the operating device 3. Then, when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the first overload detection, the shutter device 2 sets the upper limit position Pu based on the current position of the shutter curtain 4. Also, the shutter device 2 starts the closing operation of the shutter curtain 4 when an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the first overload detection, and starts the second overload detection during the closing operation when the position of the shutter curtain 4 passes the threshold value nth. When an overload state of the motor 8 is detected by the second overload detection, the shutter device 2 sets the lower limit position Pl to a position that is a first distance away in the opening direction from the current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state was detected by the second overload detection.

With this configuration, the installer or user can set the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl of the shutter curtain 4 simply by performing a specific operation on the operating device 3. Therefore, the installer or user can set the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl with a single touch, and can easily set the upper limit position Pu and the lower limit position Pl. Furthermore, the lower limit position Pl can be set so that any bending is eliminated.

The above-mentioned control unit 13 may be realized in whole or in part by a computer. In this case, the computer may include a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, and a computer-readable recording medium. A program for realizing all or in part of the functions of the control unit 13 by a computer may be recorded in the computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in the recording medium may be read by the processor and executed to realize the functions. Here, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, and those that hold a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that is a server or client in such a case. The above-mentioned program may be for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions, and may further be capable of realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or may be realized using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA.

2 Shutter device 3 Operation device 4 Shutter curtain 8 Motor 13 Control unit 14 Drive control unit 15 Load detection unit 16 Processing unit 17 Storage unit

Claims (1)

A shutter device that opens and closes a shutter curtain between an upper limit position and a lower limit position,
A motor that drives the shutter curtain to open and close;
a shutter control device that controls the motor to perform the opening and closing operations and executes overload detection to detect an overload state of the motor during the opening and closing operations;
Equipped with
The shutter control device includes:
a drive control unit that starts an opening operation of the shutter curtain when a predetermined operation is performed on an operating device, and stops the opening operation and automatically starts a closing operation when the overload state is detected during the opening operation;
a first processing unit that sets the upper limit position based on a current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection during the opening operation;
a second processing unit that starts the overload detection when the position of the shutter curtain passes a threshold during the closing operation, and sets the lower limit position to a position that is a first distance away in an opening direction from a current position of the shutter curtain when the overload state is detected by the overload detection;
A shutter device comprising:

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