EP0232866B1 - Opening and/or closing control device for fast-moving doors - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus is utilized to detect disturbance created in an opening by objects even when the objects do not move so that they cannot be detected by a motion detector. The apparatus includes a transmitter-receiver apparatus provided at the opening comprising a plurality of arrays, each of which comprises a receiver and a plurality of transmitters. Because divergent beams are emitted by the transmitters, which preferably consist of infrared-emitting diodes, the transmitters and the associated receiver can be arranged to define a triangle in space so that the space of the opening can be completely covered by a plurality of transmitter-receiver arrays. By means of a cyclic signal sequence it is ensured that a signal which has been transmitted is checked in the receiver whether it belongs to the correct transmitter. In order to ensure that high-speed folding shutter doors which are being closed or opened will be controlled so that they move into undisturbed areas, the space in which the movement of the high-speed doors is effected must be protected so timely that an impact on an object protruding into the region of the opening will be prevented in time. For this reason an evaluation signal generated by a control circuit is utilized to operate the door drive in time.

Description

The invention relates to a device for controlling the opening and / or closing process of high-speed doors according to the preamble of claim 1.

Devices of this type are formed, for example, by light barriers which have a light source as the transmitter and a light-sensitive element as the receiver, the light beam reaching the receiver either as a continuous signal or deflected directly or by means of reflection. These transmitter and receiver arrangements, which are conventionally referred to as light barriers, are relatively expensive and large-volume as line monitoring with one transmitter and one receiver each. Large-volume, in particular because most light barriers light of the visible spectrum is used as light source, which can also be superimposed on the visible spectrum by external light sources. The light source must therefore have a particularly high signal amplitude so that an overlay with other light sources is avoided as far as possible. Such a light barrier is easier to reach, especially in interior rooms, where stray light from, for example, the sun does not lead to false triggering of the light barrier. If larger areas have to be monitored, multiple arrangements of light barriers are required, which are usually very cost-intensive in the order of many thousands of DM and are also maintenance-intensive.

For devices that are used outdoors or on outer walls, an ultrasound or radar-based detector is preferably used, which does not have the problems of interfering light such as the light barrier. A disadvantage of these detectors, however, is that only movements of objects in the area to be monitored are detected. However, if a foreign body penetrates the area to be monitored and remains there without movement, it can no longer be determined whether the object which has penetrated is still in the area to be monitored or has left it again.

For example, in the case of high-speed folding doors, it is very important whether a vehicle passing through the door opening or a person in this area still remains in whole or in part in the pivoting range of the folding doors after some time. Since this cannot be determined by motion detectors, other detectors must be provided which prevent injury to persons or damage to objects and folding gates when the folding gate opens or closes and hits people or objects in the swivel range.

This problem is conventionally solved by rubber strips on the end edges of the folding doors, which are designed as touch sensors, for example by an air chamber, which lead to a switching membrane when the rubber strip is pressed via a corresponding connecting hose. However, this has the major disadvantage that the interference signal is only triggered when an object hits the rubber strip and the drive of the swinging gate leaf is stopped with a relatively great delay, so that damage and, in particular, injury to persons cannot be reliably avoided when high-speed doors are controlled.

Since motion detectors cannot solve this problem either, the only option so far is to use light barriers which, due to the effects of daylight, have particularly bright light sources with a very high signal amplitude and are therefore cost-intensive. For example, to be able to monitor an outstretched hand of a person or the tiller of vehicles or fork of forklift trucks and the like, i.e. objects running at different heights horizontally to the ground level, several light barriers are required, which, however, must have a certain minimum distance from one another simply because of their size , so that objects that reach into the space between the radiation area of two light barriers cannot be detected. If such multiple arrangements of light barriers are nevertheless used while accepting the incomplete area surveillance, arrangements are created that cost many thousands of marks.

WO 82/02787 discloses a device which searches the closing level of two coupled sliding doors for an object and then generates a corresponding signal. The transmitter and receiver are arranged in one or more transmitter-receiver group (s) on the left and right side of a door opening area to be monitored. The transmitters are controlled sequentially by a corresponding circuit. The interruption of the beam path between at least one of the transmitters and the assigned receiver can be used to determine whether there is an obstacle within the door opening area. When using several transmitter-receiver groups in one section unit, the areas of the beam paths of the transmitter-receiver groups overlap.

The object of the invention is to provide a device in which a level to be monitored and / or a space area to be monitored such as. B. a building opening can be monitored almost completely and an object located in the plane or in the room area can be located.

The problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

Advantageous further developments result from the subclaims.

A particular advantage of the solution according to the invention can be seen in the fact that a practically complete area-wide monitoring of the area to be monitored or the space in between is made possible because several transmitters, which can be made relatively small, emit their signals to only one receiver. If these several transmitters are controlled alternately, for example cyclically, the location of the fault within the opening to be monitored can be detected with an evaluation circuit connected to the receiver. This does not even require a particularly complex receiver because it then does not have to distinguish signals coming from several transmitters at the same time, but only has to check the presence of the signal coming from the respective transmitter. In the simplest case, this is a light signal of a defined length, ie time duration, so that the receiver only has to check the amplitude and duration of the signal in accordance with the transmission signal. This means that the transmission signals generated with a certain clock frequency alternately drive the different transmitters and can be checked via the common receiver on the receiving side and evaluated for coincidence or deviation. A concentrated light bundle is used, not as with light barriers, but light scattering, which is transmitted by several transmitters across the scattering range a common recipient is enough. In order to obtain no difficulties from the problem of interference light interference, an infrared diode is preferably used as the transmitter and an infrared-sensitive light element as the receiver. Of course, polarized light sources with polarized light receivers can also be used in the same way.

In the case of larger areas and rooms, the arrangement of several groups, each consisting of several transmitters and an associated receiver, is necessary, triangular configurations having proven particularly favorable. For example, a rectangular surface is formed by two assemblies that lie opposite one another, and thus one assembly covers one triangle of surfaces and the other assembly covers the other triangle of surfaces of the rectangular surface. In the case of very high openings, several such assemblies may be required on both sides of the opening in order to be able to cover all room heights. However, this is a particular advantage of the invention in that no complicated arrangements have to be created here, but rather a large number, for example infrared diodes, are arranged on a strip, in the row of which a receiver of the opposite group is interposed after several transmitters.

Of course, such strip arrangements can be arranged on both fixed and movable objects, such as high-speed folding gates. Due to the inexpensive construction, such strips can also be attached in soffits or on floor surfaces, so that not only area surveillance, but also space surveillance is possible due to the strips and their surfaces in combination, which is used in particular for high-speed folding doors to completely monitor the opening space of these gates can.

The monitoring is so fine that even gaseous disturbances such as e.g. Clouds of smoke, exhaust gases and the like can be used to trigger a closing process in the high-speed door, so that these gases cannot penetrate into the space behind.

Fig. 1

eine Systemkonfiguration,

Fig. 2

ein Blockschaltbild der Erfindung,

Fig. 3

ein Impulsdiagramm der verschiedenen Signalverläufe,

Fig. 4

ein Schnelllauffalttor mit erfindungsgemäßen Leisten in der Vorderansicht,

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie IV-IV gemäß Fig. 4 und

Fig. 6

eine schematische Draufsicht auf das Tor in geöffnetem Zustand.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below. It shows:

Fig. 1

a system configuration,

Fig. 2

1 shows a block diagram of the invention,

Fig. 3

a pulse diagram of the different waveforms,

Fig. 4

a high-speed folding door with strips according to the invention in the front view,

Fig. 5

a section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 4 and

Fig. 6

a schematic plan view of the gate in the open state.

1, a building opening 10 is defined by a floor level 12, a ceiling level 14 and a left wall 16 and a right wall 18. A receiver 20.1 and a receiver 20.3 are arranged on the left wall 16 and a receiver 20.2 and a receiver 20.4 are arranged on the right wall 18. In the first receiver 20.1 of the left wall, the transmitters S1.1 to S1.n are assigned opposite on the right wall 18, while the second receiver 20.2 on the right side 18 has the transmitters S2.1, S2.2 to S2.n on the left side 16 are assigned. The same applies to the third receiver 20.3 on the left side 16, to which the transmitters S3.1, S3.2 to S3.n on the right side 18 are assigned and for the fourth receiver 20.4 on the right side 18, to which the transmitters S4.1, S4.2 to S4.n on the left side 16 are assigned. With the transmitters S1.1, S1.2 to S1.n, the first receiver 20.1 defines a triangular surface I which encloses a right angle between the side 18 and the bottom 12. Likewise, the second receiver 20.2, with the transmitters S2.1 to S2.n, defines a likewise rectangular triangular surface, which has a common hypotenuse with the triangular surface I. The triangular surface III, which is defined by the group of the third receiver 20.3 with the associated transmitters S3.1 to S3.n, is equivalent in the spatial arrangement of the triangular surface I offset upwards by half the height of the opening 10. Finally, the triangular surface IV, which is formed by the fourth receiver 20.4 with the associated transmitters S4.1 to S4.n, is also equivalent to the triangular surface II offset upwards by half the opening height. The four triangular surfaces I to IV completely cover the opening 10.

Since the transmitters S1.1 to S1.n designed as infrared diodes have a scattering angle of at least 20 degrees, the triangular area I is completely covered with respect to the infrared rays emitted by these infrared diodes and all rays can be received by the first receiver 20.1. Of course, the third receiver 20.3 could also receive infrared rays from the infrared diodes S1.1 to S1.n, but this would then lead to a different group circuit with corresponding evaluation, as will be described in more detail below.

A control circuit 28 supplies the transmitters of the first group via a transmission line 30-1 and via a transmission line 30-2 the transmitters of the second group. Corresponding transmission lines, which are not shown in more detail, supply the transmitters of group three or group four. The first receiver 20.1 is connected to the control circuit 28 via a receiver line 32-1, while the second receiver 20.2 is connected to the control circuit 28 via a second line 32-2. In a similar manner, but not shown, the third receiver 20.3 and the fourth receiver 20.4 are connected to the control circuit 28.

2, the control circuit 28 is shown in more detail. A signal generating device 36, which generates a start signal 38, is switched on via a main switch 34. The start signal 38 is fed to a clock generator 40, which generates a rectangular pulse train in the form of a clock signal 42. The clock signal 42 coming from the clock generator 40 is fed to a transmitter control 46 via a clock line 44. The transmitter control 46 transmits transmission signals S1 to a first transmitter group 50 via a first transmission line 48. Likewise, the transmitter control 46 applies transmission signals S2 to a second transmitter group 54 via a second line 52. From the transmission control lead further transmission lines, which lead corresponding transmission signals to other transmitter groups n depending on the number of connected transmitter groups. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, this would be four transmitter groups, each with 4 transmitter lines.

Transmit signals 56 are transmitted from the first transmitter group 50 to the first receiver 20.1 of the first group. Likewise, transmission signals 58 are transmitted from the second transmitter group 54 to the second receiver 20.2 of the second group. The same applies to the transmitter groups and receivers of the other units. A comparison signal line carries comparison signals from the transmitter control a transceiver group distributor 62, from where the comparison signals 64-1 to 64-m are passed on to the respective receivers of the respective groups. In the case of the receivers 20.1, 20.2, etc., the comparison signal 64 is compared with the received transmitter signals 56 or 58, etc., in relation to one another, which can be done, for example, by a logical AND operation. The receiver output signals 66-1 or 66-2 to 66-m are sent to a receiver collector circuit 68, from where they are fed to a common receiver signal evaluation circuit 70 via a collector line 72. From the receiver signal evaluation circuit 70, the evaluation signal 74 is fed via an evaluation signal line 76 to a self-monitoring circuit 78. This self-monitoring circuit 78 is preferably designed as a fail-safe circuit. From it, signals are routed via a fault reporting line 80 into a fault reporting circuit 82, which then supplies the detection signals 84. The self-monitoring circuit 78 has a relay 86, which connects the folding gate control 90 to the folding gate drive 92 via its relay contact 88. The actuation of the relay contact 88 can also be used as a detection signal 84 ', whereby an alarm system or other monitoring devices can also be actuated instead of controlling a high-speed door.

4, the building opening 10 is limited in front view by an open folding door both on the left side wall 16 and on the right side wall 18. The guide and the drive are formed in the ceiling area 14 by a corresponding guide and drive construction 100. The left half of the door 102 consists of two folding door leaves, namely the drive leaf 104 and the end leaf 108. In the same way, the right half of the door 110 also consists of a drive leaf 112 and an end leaf 116. With regard to the drives and guidance the individual wing is referred to the German patent application P 32 14 834.

As can be seen from the side view according to FIG. 5 and the top view according to FIG. 6, several monitoring strips are provided, namely a vertical gate wing strip 118 on the left end wing 108 and 120 on the right gate end wing 116. In the example case, the vertical strips 118 and 120 only extend up to usual person height of approx. 2 m, whereby of course the full gate height can also be monitored vertically. In the bottom area of the left end wing 108, a further wing bottom bar 122 is provided on the left end wing 108 and 124 on the right end wing 116. When the gates are open, the vertical gate end strips 118 and 120 monitor the gate opening surface 10 and the leaf bottom strips 122 and 124 monitor this surface at a depth which corresponds to the width of the end leaf 108 and 116, respectively. A left soffit strip 126 and a right soffit strip 128 close off the monitoring room from the building opening side. As a result, when the door is open, monitoring is achieved by the reveal strips 126 and 128, a profile in the form of a U-shaped rear side by the wing base strips 122 and 124 and the front by the vertical gate end strip strips 118 and 120. If the door closes, the full swivel range of the high-speed door in this room is monitored during the closing process.

In addition, a left bottom bar 130 and a right bottom bar 132 are provided, which correspond in their function to the wing bottom bars 122 and 124, respectively. The left bottom ledge 130 extends vertically away from the left building wall 134 into the door movement space to be monitored and is preferably attached to the floor 12. Likewise, the right bottom ledge 132 on the right building wall 136 is also vertical from this attached to the floor extending away.

A left stand 138 and a right stand 140 correspond in function to the vertical end wing strips 118 and 120. This means that approximately the same level is monitored by the stand strips 138 and 140 as by the wing end strips 118 and 120. In the same way the floor level located in the opening area is monitored by the bottom strips 130 and 132 when the gate is closed or closing, while the monitoring is carried out by the wing bottom strips 122 and 124 when the gate is open. This means that the wing strips following the movement of the gate provide additional monitoring beyond the stationary floor, stand or soffit strips, so that the outer movement space is covered by the stationary strips and the inner movement space is covered by the leaf strips. Since the strips essentially only contain the infrared diodes and receivers, while the control circuit 28 is preferably accommodated in the area of the guide and drive construction 100, it is possible to design these strips to be very slim and thus not to have to influence the construction of the high-speed folding doors, This becomes particularly clear when the door surfaces are formed by transparent plastic wings.

Of course, it is within the skill of the art to provide such monitoring lines in other door geometries, depending on which opening and closing functions are to be achieved. This is possible in particular if the various bar arrangements are included in the overall group control in such a way that faults in one plane, which have not yet detected the parallel plane behind them, for example, are evaluated in such a way that the direction of movement of the fault is detected and accordingly in corresponding gate opening and closing movements can be implemented. For example, when approaching the right gate from the inside, the left wing can be closed and when approaching the left gate from the outside, the right wing can remain closed.

Claims (20)

1. A means for controlling the process of opening and/or closing high-speed gates and comprising a device for recognising shadowing of a signal consecutively transmitted by one out of more than two transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2n, ... Sm.1-Sm.n) in a space (10) between the transmitters and a receiver (20.1, 20.21, ..., 20.m), a control circuit (28) being connected to all the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1-Sm.n) and the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ..., 20.m), and the control circuit (28) supplying the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2. 1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) with signals which are converted by the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) into transmitter signals, are adapted to be received by the receiver (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) and are transmitted to the control circuit (28), the control circuit (28) delivering the signals cyclically and consecutively to the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n), and the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) being each associated with a respective receiver (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) and cooperating therewith to define a transmitter-receiver group,
   characterised in that each partial area or each partial space to be monitored is covered by only one associated transmitter-receiver group, and each transmitter in a group delivers its signals only to its associated receiver, at least two transmitter-receiver groups are disposed so that the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ..., 20.m) are diagonally opposite one another, each transmitter and the respective receiver forms a surface defining a right-angled triangle, and the signals coming from the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ..., 20.m) are supplied to a frequency and/or amplitude evaluating circuit in the control circuit (28), which generates an evaluation signal (74).
2. A means according to claim 1, characterised in that the control circuit (28) delivers pulsed clock signals (42) generated by a clock generator (40).
3. A means according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a comparator circuit is provided and compares the frequency and/or amplitude of the signals coming from the evaluating circuit and delivered to the transmitters (S1,1-S1.n, S2.1 -S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) and, in the event of a deviation, generates a switching signal which is convertible into an evaluation signal (74).
4. A means according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a fail-safe circuit is provided and monitors the operation of all transmitter, receiver and circuit subassemblies.
5. A means according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1-Sm.n) are arranged in a line.
6. A means according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the geometry of the intermediate space (10) through the transmitter-receiver plane is completely covered by a number of groups of transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2. 1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1. -Sm.n) and receivers (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m).
7. A means according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2. 1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) comprise light-emitting diodes and the receiver (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) comprises a light-receiving element
8. A means according to claim 7, characterised in that the light-emitting diodes are infra-red diodes and the light-receiving element 15 an infra-red receiver.
9. A means according to claim 7 or 8 characterised in that the light-emitting diodes have an angle of dispersion of 20°.
10. A means according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that a number of groups of transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n) and receivers (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) have a common control circuit (28).
11. A means according to claim 10, characterised in that the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ... , Sm.1 .-Sm.n) in each group and/or all groups are actuated by a transmitter control means.
12. A means according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2.1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1. - Sm.n) are disposed along a strip disposed on one side of a gate and/or gate opening.
13. A means according to claim 12, characterised in that the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ..., 20.m) are disposed on a side of the gate or gate opening opposite the transmitters (S1.1-S1.n, S2. 1-S2.n, ..., Sm.1.-Sm.n).
14. A means according to claim 13, characterised in that the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) in a first sub-assembly are disposed on a transmitter strip which is connected to a second sub-assembly whose receivers (20.1, 20.2, ... 20.m) are disposed opposite the receivers (20.1, 20.2, ..., 20.m) in the first sub-assembly.
15. A means according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that the strips are disposed on the exposed end edge of the high-speed gate.
16. A means according to any of claims 12 to 15, characterised in that the strips are disposed on the bottom edge of each gate, preferably on the respective wing which reaches the centre of the gate opening.
17. A means according to any of claims 12 to 16, characterised in that the strips are vertically disposed in the neighbourhood of the gate soffit.
18. A means according to any of claims 12 to 17, characterised in that the strips are disposed on the walls constituting the gate opening and/or extend vertically away therefrom.
19. A means according to claim 18, characterised in that the strips extend away from the walls for a distance at least equal to the maximum width of a gate.
20. A means according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the strips are disposed in the ground region (12).

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