Drive system for a door or window and method of operating same

A method of controlling opening and closing movements of a wing member in the form of a door or window, comprising:

• interposing a mechanical energy storage device between the wing member and a frame member, said energy storage device being operable to move the wing member with discharge of energy, and
• controlling discharge of energy from the energy storage device as a function of the position of the wing member,
• said controlling including:
• providing an electronically controllable control element,
• sensing movement of the wing member at multiple positions and providing an electrical output signal representing same,
• receiving said output signal at a regulating device and operating said regulating device to control the control element as a function of said output signal to thereby change the influence of the control element to change the energy discharge from the energy storage device as a function of the movement of the wing member by storing a motion profile that includes movement velocities assigning an optimized rate of motion for each aperture angle position of the wing member, wherein
• the energy storage device comprises at least one spring acting against a movable piston disposed in a housing,
• the piston divides the housing into two housing chambers containing damping fluid, said housing chambers being connected by a fluid line accommodating flow of damping fluid between the housing chambers during movement of the piston,
• the electronically controllable control element includes an electronically controllable valve in the fluid line, and
• comparing actual motion of the wing member with the stored motion profile in the regulating device to control said valve as a function of the wing member position signals by clocked switching between an open position of the valve and a closed position of the valve in order to continuously adjust a flow mass of the fluid through the valve, or by continuously adjusting a flow diameter of the valve using a high-speed servo motor with closed loop feedback to achieve the assigned optimized rate of motion,
• and displaying data and/or entering data via the regulating device.