GB2576601A

GB2576601A - Drive for a door or window sash

Info

Publication number: GB2576601A
Application number: GB1908660.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wörner Benjamin
Original assignee: Geze GmbH
Current assignee: Geze GmbH
Priority date: 2018-06-25
Filing date: 2019-06-17
Publication date: 2020-02-26
Also published as: GB201908660D0; DE102018210290B4; CN110630133B; DE102018210290A1; CN110630133A

Abstract

A drive, for a door or window closer, comprising a housing 12 with a cylinder 20 in which a spring biased piston 18 slides and divides the cylinder into fluid chambers. The housing includes a plurality of successive inlet/outlet bores/holes 24 through which hydraulic fluid flows; the bores/holes are distributed along the cylinder to be passed over and successively sealed or released by the piston as it slides. An adjustable valve having an opening 26 for selective communication with bores 24 adjusts hydraulic functions of the drive such as a closing delay or opening damping. Holes 24 may be aligned in a row; the fluid aperture 26 in the valve may be a plurality of holes or slots, the valve may include an inclined slot 26. The valve may be a captive valve held for rotational adjustment to adjust aligned apertures and change the fluid path.

Description

DRIVE FOR A DOOR OR WINDOW SASH

The invention relates to a drive for the sash of a door, a window or the like, having a housing and a piston-cylinder unit, whose piston, which is acted on by a spring unit and interacts with an output shaft, is slidably mounted in the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit to form a pressure chamber and an unpressurised chamber, between which hydraulic medium can be transferred during a respective closing and opening movement of the piston.

Hydraulic drives for doors or windows are generally known and effect the selfclosing of the door or window sash, wherein in the case of a drive or door closer for a door sash both the movement of the door leaf into the door frame and the engagement of the latch of the door lock into the strike plate is guaranteed. In the housing, which is filled with a hydraulic medium, a mechanical energy storage device, particularly such as a spring unit, is also arranged, which is compressed by the displacement of the piston during a rotational movement of the output shaft as the sash is opened manually or, for example, automatically by a hydraulic pump,, and acts as an energy storage device for the self-closing of the sash. The interior of the housing is divided into several chambers by the piston. Between these chambers, hydraulic channels having assigned regulating valves are arranged for influencing the overflow of the hydraulic medium, said valves serving to control the drive behaviour. In particular, a closing delay, opening damping, an end stop and/or the like may be provided.

A disadvantage of the hitherto usual drives, particularly such as door closers of the type mentioned above, is particularly that activation regions for certain hydraulic functions such as a closing delay, opening damping, an end stop and/or the like are permanently predefined by design. Due to different installation situations, however, the fixed regions are frequently unsuitable. Thus, for example, the opening damping in the hitherto usual drives for door sashes usually begins at a door opening angle of 60°, so that the door comes to halt before a door opening angle of 90°. However, if a door can be opened, for example, beyond a door opening angle of 180°, then the opening damping in the known drives is applied much too soon, making it difficult to walk through the door.

The object of the invention is to disclose a drive of the type already mentioned in which the previously mentioned disadvantages have been eliminated. The aim in particular is to make the application points of hydraulic functions, such as particularly damping ranges for a closing delay, opening damping and/or the like and/or an end stop, variably adjustable for increased convenience of use, in the simplest and most reliable manner.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a drive having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the drive according to the invention result from the dependent claims, the present description and the drawings.

The drive according to the invention for the sash of a door, a window or the like comprises a housing and a piston-cylinder unit, whose piston, which is acted on by a spring unit and interacts with an output shaft, is slidably mounted in the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit to form a pressure chamber and an unpressurised chamber, between which hydraulic medium can be transferred during a respective closing and opening movement of the piston. In this case, the housing is provided with inlet and/or outlet bores for the hydraulic medium to be transferred, which are successively passed over and sealed or released during a respective closing or opening movement of the piston of the piston-cylinder unit. In addition, a control valve provided with at least one opening for the overflowing hydraulic medium is provided, which valve interacts with the inlet and/or outlet bores provided in the housing such that, depending on the respective setting, different inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing can be released to allow the hydraulic medium to overflow via the opening in the control valve.

Due to the design according to the invention of the drive, the application points of hydraulic functions, such as, for example, the damping ranges for a closing delay, opening damping and/or the like and/or an end stop, are variably adjustable in a simple manner, whereby an increased convenience of use of the door results for a drive for a door sash. In addition, the variable adjustability of the hydraulic functions can be relatively easily implemented by design. If the piston of the piston-cylinder unit moves in the cylinder, hydraulic medium is displaced. In the process, the hydraulic medium flows through the housing inlet and/or outlet bore released by the piston and the control valve. In the flow direction of the hydraulic medium, throttle valves or the like can be arranged upstream or downstream of the control valve, the behaviour of the drive being controlled accordingly by said valves. As soon as the piston of the piston-cylinder unit has been displaced over the inlet and/or outlet bore set by the control valve, the inflow or outflow of the assigned throttle valve is interrupted.

Depending on the position of the control valve, different inlet and/or outlet bores in the housing are released. The piston of the piston-cylinder unit then requires more or less stroke until it seals the released inlet and/or outlet bore. In the case of a drive for a door sash, the released inlet and/or outlet bore is correspondingly released at a greater or lesser door opening angle. Thus, the application point of the relevant hydraulic function can be adjusted arbitrarily or variably.

Preferably, only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing can be released by the control valve in each case. That means that the various inlet and/or outlet bores can each only be released individually, while the other inlet and/or outlet bores remain closed by the control valve.

Preferably, when a respective inlet and/or outlet bore of the housing is released by the control valve and the piston of the piston-cylinder unit, a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay, opening damping, an end stop or the like, can be triggered.

For a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay or opening damping, in each case preferably at least one throttle valve is provided upstream and/or downstream of the control valve, when viewed in the flow direction of the hydraulic medium. In this case, the respective hydraulic function can be influenced accordingly particularly via the throttle valves.

According to a preferred practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the control valve comprises a valve member, which can be adjusted in a valve bore of the housing by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore of the control valve, said valve member having a valve head which is provided with the at least one opening and forms a tight fit to the housing such that only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing can be released in each case by the control valve to allow the hydraulic medium to overflow via the opening in the control valve, while the tight fit seals the control valve relative to the housing.

The hydraulic medium can thus only flow in or out at one particular released inlet and/or outlet bore.

The valve bore of the control valve is advantageously arranged in a region outside of the piston-cylinder unit and in particular oriented at least substantially tangentially and transversely to the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit, and the valve member of the control valve is adjustable by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore of the control valve.

In this case, according to a preferred practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve head of the valve member of the control valve is provided with a plurality of openings, which are distributed over its circumference in such a way that regardless of the rotational position of the valve member of the control valve one of the inlet and/or outlet holes of the housing is always releasable or released to allow the hydraulic medium to overflow via an opening in the valve.

Depending on the travel path of the piston of the piston-cylinder arrangement, the relevant inlet and/or outlet bore of the housing selected by the control valve can be released or sealed to allow the hydraulic medium to overflow.

The valve head of the valve member of the control valve is preferably made of resilient plastics material. This ensures an optimal tight fit of the valve head of the control valve to the housing.

As already stated, the valve head of the control valve can be provided with one or more openings. In this case, a respective opening can be designed for example as a bore, slot-shaped or the like and can be arranged according to the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing. That means that a respective opening in the valve head of the valve member of the control valve can be aligned with one or more, particularly with each of the various inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing, by adjusting or rotating the valve member accordingly, said opening only being aligned with one of these inlet and/or outlet bores in each case. The inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing may in particular have an at least substantially circular cross section.

According to an advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing, each having particularly an at least substantially circular cross section, are arranged in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder or in parallel with the direction of movement of the piston of the piston-cylinder unit.

According to an alternative advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing, each having an at least substantially circular cross section, can however also be offset relative to each other both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit.

The valve head of the valve member of the control valve is preferably provided with at least one at least substantially circular opening and/or at least one slot-shaped opening.

In this case, a respective slot-shaped opening can extend particularly in the circumferential direction of the valve head of the valve member of the control valve or in parallel with or obliquely to the axis of the valve bore of the control valve or can have a spiral or similar course.

According to an advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve head of the valve member of the control valve is provided with at least one slot-shaped opening extending in particular obliquely to the axis of the valve bore of the control valve, which opening interacts with inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

According to an alternative advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve head of the valve member of the control valve is provided with slot-shaped openings, each extending in the circumferential direction of the valve head and being offset relative to one another both along the axis of the valve bore or the valve member of the control valve and in the circumferential direction of the valve head, said slot-shaped openings interacting with inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder of the piston cylinder unit and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

According to a further advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve head of the valve member of the control valve is provided with an opening particularly having an at least substantially circular cross section or with a plurality of openings that are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the valve bore or the valve member of the control valve, distributed over the circumference of the valve head and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section, said opening or openings interacting with inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing that each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section, said inlet and/or outlet bores being arranged successively in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit.

The housing and the control valve are expediently provided with markings, by means of which the control valve can be positioned exactly in each of the various settings.

The valve member of the control valve may be provided with a tool holder for adjustment or rotation.

By means of the drive according to the invention, the application points of hydraulic functions, such as particularly damping ranges for a closing delay, opening damping and/or the like and/or an end stop, are variably adjustable in a simple and reliable manner, whereby increased convenience of use is achieved in the case of a drive for a door sash.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of example embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1	is a schematic cross-sectional view - corresponding to a transverse section through the piston-cylinder arrangement of an example embodiment of a drive according to the invention, in which the valve head of the valve member is provided with three openings which are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the valve bore or the valve member of the control valve, distributed over the circumference of the valve head, are each circular in cross section, and interact with inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing, which are each circular in cross section and arranged successively in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit,
Fig. 2	is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a part of the drive according to Fig. 1 having the control valve, wherein the piston of the piston-cylinder unit is positioned outside the region of the inlet and/or outlet bores of the housing, so that hydraulic medium can flow in or out via an inlet and/or outlet bore that is released by the control valve,
Fig. 3	is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a part of the drive according to Fig. 1 having the control valve, the piston of the piston-cylinder unit sealing a part of the inlet and/or outlet bores including the inlet and/or outlet bore selected by the control element,
Fig. 4	is a schematic partial view of the control valve of the drive according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a schematic partial view of a further example embodiment of the drive according to the invention,

Fig. 6 is a schematic partial view of a further example embodiment of the drive according to the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of the drive according to the invention, in which the housing and the control valve are provided with markings.

By way of example, Fig. 1 to 7 show different embodiments of the drive according to the invention for a sash of a door, a window or the like. In this case, the drive 10 in each case comprises a housing 12 and a piston-cylinder unit 14 (see particularly Fig. 1 to 3), whose piston 18, which is acted on by a spring unit 16 and interacts with an output shaft, is slidably mounted in the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14 to form a pressure chamber and an unpressurised chamber, between which hydraulic medium 22 can be transferred during a respective closing and opening movement of the piston 18.

In addition, in the case of a respective drive 10, the housing 12 is provided with inlet and/or outlet bores 24 for the hydraulic medium 22 to be transferred, which are successively passed over and sealed or released during a respective closing or opening movement of the piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 14, and a control valve 28 having at least one opening 26 for the overflowing hydraulic medium 22 is provided, which valve interacts with the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 provided in the housing 12 such that, depending on the respective setting, different inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 can be released via the opening 26 in the control valve 28 to allow the hydraulic medium 22 to overflow.

In the process, in the different embodiments, only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 can be released in each case by the control valve 28 (see particularly Fig. 2).

When a respective inlet and/or outlet bore 24 of the housing 12 is released by the control valve 28 and the piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 16, a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay, opening damping, an end stop or the like, can be triggered in each case.

If the piston 18 moves relative to the housing, hydraulic medium is displaced. The displaced hydraulic medium flows through the inlet and/or outlet bore 24 of the housing that is released by a respective opening 26 in the control valve 28, as soon as the relevant inlet and/or outlet bore 24 is also released by the piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 14 (see Fig. 2). On the other hand, if the piston 18 of the pistoncylinder unit 14 assumes a position in which it covers the relevant inlet and/or outlet bore 24 of the housing 12 which is actuated by the control valve 28 (see Fig. 3), then the relevant inlet and/or outlet bore 24 is sealed. It is only released when both an opening 26 in the control valve 28 is aligned with this inlet and/or outlet bore 24 and the piston 18 is moved out of the region of this inlet and/or outlet bore (see Fig. 2 again). Only then can hydraulic medium flow in or out via this inlet and/or outlet bore 24.

Depending on the position of the control valve 28, different inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 are actuated or released. The piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 14 then requires more or less stroke. In the case of a drive 10 for a door sash, the inlet and/or outlet bore actuated or released by the control valve 28 is correspondingly sealed by the piston 18 at a greater or lesser door opening angle. Thus, the application point of the relevant hydraulic function can be arbitrarily adjusted variably by means of the control valve 28.

For a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay or opening damping, in each case at least one throttle valve can be provided upstream and/or downstream of the control valve 28, when viewed in the flow direction of the hydraulic medium.

As can be seen again from Fig. 1 to 3 in particular, in the various embodiments of the drive 10 according to the invention the control valve 28 comprises a valve member 32, which can be adjusted in a valve bore 30 of the housing 12 by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore 30 of the control valve 28, said valve member having a valve head 34 which is provided with the at least one opening 26 and forms a tight fit to the housing 12, such that only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing can be released in each case by the control valve 28 to allow the hydraulic medium 22 to overflow via the opening 26 in the control valve 28.

In this case, the valve bore 30 of the control valve 28 can in each case be arranged in a region outside the piston-cylinder unit 14 and particularly oriented at least substantially tangentially and transversely to the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14, and the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 can be adjustable by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore 30 of the control valve 28 (see particularly Fig. 1 to 3 again).

As can be seen from Fig. 1, with the release of an inlet and/or outlet bore 24 of the housing 12 by the control valve 28 and the piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 14, hydraulic medium 22 can flow in or out via the control valve 28 and a bore 36 provided in the housing.

In each case, the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 can be provided with just one or also with a plurality of openings 26 (see Fig. 1 to 6), which are distributed over its circumference in such a way that, regardless of the rotational position of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28, only ever one of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 either can be released to allow the hydraulic medium 22 to overflow via an opening 26 in the control valve 28 or is released in the case of a piston 18 that is guided out of the region of the relevant inlet and/or outlet bore 24.

The valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 may in each case be made particularly from resilient plastics material. This ensures a particularly tight fit of the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 to the housing 12, resulting in a good seal.

In the example embodiment of the drive according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 to 4, the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12, each having particularly an at least substantially circular cross section, are arranged in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder 20 or in parallel with the direction of movement of the piston 18 of the piston-cylinder unit 14.

By contrast, in the two example embodiments of the drive 10 according to the invention shown in Fig. 5 and 6, the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12, each particularly having an at least substantially circular cross section, are offset relative to each other both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14.

The valve head 34 of the valve member 22 of the control valve 28 of a respective embodiment of the drive 10 according to the invention may particularly be provided with one or a plurality of substantially circular openings (see Fig. 1 to 4) or one or a plurality of slot-shaped openings 26 (see Fig. 5 and 6).

In this case, a respective slot-shaped opening 26 can extend for example in the circumferential direction of the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 or in parallel with or obliquely to the axis of the valve bore of the control valve 28 or can have a spiral or similar course.

In the example embodiment of the drive according to the invention shown in Fig. 5, the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 is provided with at least one slot-shaped opening 26 extending in particular obliquely to the axis of the valve bore 30 of the control valve 38, which opening interacts with inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14 and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

In contrast, in the example embodiment of the drive 10 according to the invention shown in Fig. 6, the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 is in each case provided with slot-shaped openings 26, which each extend in the circumferential direction of the valve head 34, are offset relative to one another both along the axis of the valve bore 30 or the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 and in the circumferential direction of the valve head 34, and interact with inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14 and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

By means of the slot-shaped openings 26 in the valve head 34, each extending in the circumferential direction of the valve head 24, and the offset arrangement of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12, the rotational path of the control element 28 can be increased accordingly, whereby adjustability is facilitated. Due to the offset arrangement of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12, a finer graduation of the application points of the respective hydraulic function can be produced as the diameters can overlap.

In contrast, in the embodiment of the drive 10 according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 to 4, the valve head 34 of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28 is provided with three openings 26 that are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the valve bore 30 or the valve member 32 of the control valve 28, distributed over the circumference of the valve head 34 and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section, said openings interacting with inlet and/or outlet bores 24 of the housing 12 that each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section, said inlet and/or outlet bores being arranged successively in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14. As can be seen in Fig. 2 and 3, the valve head 34 ofthe valve member 32 of the control valve 38 in the present case has three openings 26, each offset from one another by 120°, such that, regardless of the respective position of the valve member 32 of the control valve 28, only one opening 26 is aligned in each case with an inlet and/or outlet bore 24 of the housing 12. In the present case, as a result of the inlet and/or outlet bores 24 arranged successively in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder 20 of the piston-cylinder unit 14, the bore diameter stipulates the gradation of the application points of the respective hydraulic function.

As can be seen in Fig. 7, the housing 12 and the control valve 28 of a respective example embodiment of the drive according to the invention can be provided with markings 38, 40, by means of which the control valve 28 can be positioned exactly in each of the various settings. The valve member 32 of the control valve 28 may also be provided with a tool holder 42 for adjusting or rotating the valve member 32. If this tool holder is, as in the illustrated case, for example, slot-shaped, it may also simultaneously be provided as a marking 40.

List of reference numerals

10	Drive
12	Housing
14	Piston-cylinder unit
16	Spring unit
18	Piston
20	Cylinder
22	Hydraulic medium
24	Inlet and/or outlet bore
26	Opening
28	Control valve
30	Valve bore
32	Valve member
34	Valve head
36	Bore
38	Marking
40	Marking
42	Tool holder

Claims

1. A drive (10) for a sash of a door, a window or the like, comprising a housing (12) and a piston-cylinder unit (14), whose piston (18), which is acted on by a spring unit (16) and interacts with an output shaft, is slidably mounted in the cylinder (20) of the piston-cylinder unit (14) to form a pressure chamber and an unpressurised chamber, between which hydraulic medium (22) can be transferred during a respective closing and opening movement of the piston (18), wherein the housing (12) is provided with inlet and/or outlet bores (24) for the hydraulic medium (22) to be transferred, which are successively passed over and sealed or released during a respective closing or opening movement of the piston (18) of the piston-cylinder unit (14), and a control valve (28) having at least one opening (26) for the overflowing hydraulic medium (22) is provided, which valve interacts with the inlet or outlet bores (24) provided in the housing (12) such that, depending on the respective setting, different inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) can be released via the opening (26) in the control valve (28) to allow the hydraulic medium (22) to overflow.

2. The drive according to claim 1, characterised in that only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) can be released by the control valve (28) in each case.

3. The drive according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, when a respective inlet and/or outlet bore (24) of the housing (12) is released by the control valve (28) and the piston (18) of the piston-cylinder unit (16), a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay, opening damping, an end stop or the like, can be triggered.

4. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that for a hydraulic function, such as particularly a closing delay or opening damping, in each case at least one throttle valve is provided upstream and/or downstream of the control valve (28), when viewed in the flow direction of the hydraulic medium.

5. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control valve (28) comprises a valve member (32), which can be adjusted in a valve bore (30) of the housing (12) by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore (20) of the control valve (28), said valve member having a valve head (34) which is provided with the at least one opening (26) and forms a tight fit to the housing (12), such that only one of the inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) can be released in each case by the control valve (28) to allow the hydraulic medium (22) to overflow via the opening (26) in the control valve (28).

6. The drive according to claim 5, characterised that the valve bore (30) of the control valve (28) is oriented at least substantially tangentially and transversely to the cylinder (20) of the piston-cylinder unit (14) in a region outside of the piston-cylinder unit (14), and the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is adjustable by rotation about its axis that is coaxial with the axis of the valve bore (30) of the control valve (28).

7. The drive according to claim 6, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is provided with a plurality of openings (26), which are distributed over its circumference in such a way that, regardless of the rotational position of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28), one of the inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) can always be released or is released to allow the hydraulic medium (22) to overflow via an opening (26) in the control valve (28).

8. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is made of resilient plastics material.

9. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12), each having particularly an at least substantially circular cross section, are arranged in a row extending in parallel with the axis of the cylinder (20) or in parallel with the direction of movement of the piston (18) of the piston-cylinder unit (14).

10. The drive according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12), each particularly having an at least substantially circular cross section, are offset relative to each other both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder (20) of the piston-cylinder unit (14).

11. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is provided with at least one at least substantially circular opening and/or at least one slot-shaped opening (26).

12. The drive according to claim 11, characterised in that a respective slot-shaped opening (26) extends in the circumferential direction of the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) or in parallel with or obliquely to the axis of the valve bore (30) of the control valve (28) or has a spiral or similar course.

13. The drive according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is provided with at least one slot-shaped opening (26) extending in particular obliquely to the axis of the valve bore (30) of the control valve (28), which opening interacts with inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder (20) of the piston-cylinder unit (14) and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

14. The drive according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is provided with slot-shaped openings (26), each extending in the circumferential direction of the valve head (34) and being offset relative to one another both along the axis of the valve bore (30) or the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) and in the circumferential direction of the valve head (34), said slot-shaped openings interacting with inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) that are offset relative to one another both along the axis and in the circumferential direction of the cylinder (20) of the pistoncylinder unit (14) and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section.

15. The drive according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the valve head (34) of the valve member (32) of the control valve (28) is provided with an opening (26) having particularly an at least substantially circular cross section or a plurality of openings (26) that are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the valve bore (30) or the valve member (32) of the control valve (28), distributed over the circumference of the valve head (34) and each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section in each case, said opening or openings interacting with inlet and/or outlet bores (24) of the housing (12) that each particularly have an at least substantially circular cross section, said inlet and/or outlet bores being arranged successively in a row extending in parallel 5 with the axis of the cylinder (20) of the piston-cylinder unit (14).

16. The drive according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing (12) and the control valve (28) are provided with markings (38,40), by means of which the control valve can be positioned 10 exactly in each of the different settings.