DE9213726U1 - Door buffer - Google Patents

Description

1525 H/St

Central CHANG

Changhua, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Door buffer

Description

The present invention relates to a door buffer attached to the free end of an electrically driven door for automatically switching off the drive energy if the door hits an obstacle during operation.

A wide variety of electrically operated doors are known, such as folding doors, roller doors, etc., which are automatically controlled. An electric gate is usually controlled with an electrical control system to close or open an access. Since the gate is closed or opened automatically, the drive is not interrupted if the gate hits an obstacle. This makes an electrically operated gate dangerous. It is often reported that a child has been crushed by an electrically operated gate. Furthermore, the moving electrical parts are not protected by any protective device, so that the body parts of an operator can be trapped during operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a door buffer of the type mentioned at the outset, with which the drive of an electric door is interrupted when the door hits an obstacle.

This object is achieved by the invention characterized in claim 1. That is, with a buffer attached to a free end of an electrically operated door or gate, which is characterized by a flexible, insulating, outer tube with two opposing, conductive parts extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner walls, which are made of a mixture containing a conductive powder and are each connected to one of the two terminals of an electromagnetic switch for controlling a drive motor for opening and closing the door or gate, wherein the electromagnetic switch is switched off to stop the motor when the buffer is compressed when it hits an obstacle, whereby the two opposing, flexible, conductive parts touch each other.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the two opposing, flexible, conductive parts are each connected to one of two opposing terminals of an electrical circuit of an alarm system for controlling the alarm system when the parts are pressed together and form electrical contact with one another.

The buffer can be designed in a variety of shapes and in different lengths to suit different requirements.

The two opposing flexible conductive parts are made of a flexible material mixed with a metal powder, a graphite powder or a carbon powder.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the buffer;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned view of the
Roller shutter (e.g. a garage door)
buffers;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another
Embodiment of the buffer, which is attached to a
collapsible gate; and

Fig. 3A shows another embodiment of the buffer, which
another embodiment of a collapsible gate.

Fig. 1 shows a buffer for a door or gate, which is made of polyphenyl chloride, rubber or any other flexible insulating material in the form of a hollow flat tube having two opposite flexible conductive parts 11, 12 formed on the inner wall spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the tube and consisting of a mixture containing a conductive powder 2. The conductive powder 2 can be copper powder, graphite powder or carbon powder.

Fig. 2 shows the buffer 1 attached to the lower edge of a rolling steel gate 6. When installed, the two opposite, flexible, conductive parts 11, 12 are connected to the positive terminal El and the negative terminal E2 of a transformer 4, respectively. The transformer 4 is connected to a motor 5 via an electromagnetic switch 3. When the motor 5 is switched on, the steel gate 6 is either lowered or pulled up. When the steel gate 6 is lowered to the floor Wl, the two opposite, flexible, conductive parts 11, 12 of the buffer 1 are pressed together, whereby they

touch, which switches off the motor 5 via the electromagnetic switch 3. The motor 5 is also switched off if the buffer 1 is compressed when it hits an object or a person. The steel gate 6 is thus automatically stopped if there is any obstacle in the way.

Fig. 3 and 3A show a further embodiment of the buffer 1, which is attached to the free end 7A of a collapsible gate 7 for protection. When the buffer 1 is moved forward and hits the lateral stop W2, the collapsible gate 7 is automatically stopped.

Since the buffer 1 is made of a flexible, insulating material, it can be bent into any shape with different lengths.

The two opposite, flexible, conductive parts 11, 12 of the buffer 1 can be connected to the two opposite connectors of an alarm system accordingly when the buffer 1 is arranged on a gate or a fence of a livestock shed. The alarm system switches on the alarm when the fence is touched by an animal.

Claims (2)

Protection claims 1. A buffer attached to the free end of an electrically operated door or gate, characterized by a flexible, insulating, outer tube with two opposite conductive parts (11, 12) extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner walls (13), which are made of a mixture containing a conductive powder (2) and are each connected to one of the two terminals (El, E2) of an electromagnetic switch (3) for controlling a drive motor for opening and closing the door or gate (6, 7), wherein the electromagnetic switch (3) is switched off to stop the motor (5) when the buffer (1) is compressed when it encounters an obstacle, whereby the two opposite, flexible, conductive parts (11, 12) touch each other. 2. Buffer according to claim 1, characterized in that the two opposite, flexible, conductive parts (11, 12) are connected respectively to the two opposite terminals (El, E2) of an electrical circuit of an alarm system for controlling the alarm system, in order to trigger an alarm when the two parts (11, 12) are pressed together and form an electrical contact.