EP1857983B1 - Automatic gate with sensor device to detect a person within the gate area - Google Patents

Abstract

A passage barrier (10) includes a glass or plastic barrier element (34) that swivels around a swiveling axis inside a swiveling area (38). A sensor detects the presence of a person in the swiveling area and a sending unit (40) emits detection waves. An electronic evaluation unit evaluates the output signals of the sensor. A detection wave from the sending unit towards the reception unit (42) extends through the swivelling area of the barrier element. An independent claim is included for a method for operating a passage barrier.

Description

The present invention relates to passage barriers which serve to selectively allow or block the passage of a person or the passage of a vehicle.

An already known embodiment of such a passage barrier comprises a barrier element designed as an automatic sliding door which selectively opens or blocks a passage through the passage barrier. In order to detect the presence of a person within the passage of the passage barrier, this can have a corresponding sensor system. For example, it is known to provide a plurality of light barriers along the passage, the transmitting means of which emit the crossing light beams received by respective receiving means. If the light beam extending from a transmitting device to a receiving device is interrupted by a person, the input signal missing at the receiving device represents the presence of a person within the passage barrier, whereupon a corresponding evaluation unit detects a person within the passage. The use of multiple light barriers is advantageous in that both the position and the direction of movement of the person within the passage of the passage barrier can be detected by the fact which light rays are interrupted in which order by the person moving through the passage barrier. However, a major disadvantage of such a sliding door design is in that this requires a very wide space due to the displacement of the sliding door, which is not desirable in many practical applications.

An alternative embodiment of a known passage barrier comprises a preferably automatically pivotable about a pivot axis within a pivoting range locking element, for example in the form of a swing door that selectively opens or blocks a passage through the passage barrier. An essential advantage of such passage barriers with pivotable locking elements is that they require much less installation space in the width direction than the sliding door configuration described above. Even with the passage barrier with a pivotable blocking element, light barriers can be arranged in front of and behind the pivoting region along a passage of the passage barrier in order to detect the presence of a person in the passage. The arrangement of light barriers within the pivoting range of the blocking element, however, is problematic because they are interrupted during pivoting of the blocking element by this itself, which is why during the pivoting of the blocking element and the blocking element open based on the output signals of the corresponding photocells no statement can be made about whether in the swivel range a person is present or not. Accordingly, in transit locks with pivotable locking member, an alternative sensor is preferably used to detect the presence of a person within the passage of the passage barrier, such as a motion sensor or the like. However, such sensors have the disadvantage that the exact position of a person within the passage or its direction of motion are not detectable or only with very complex means.

The GB 2 175 348 A describes an automatically controlled passage barrier with a pivotable barrier and a scanning device, wherein the barrier is opened after detection of an object or a person by the scanning device and then automatically pivoted back into the closed position. In order to ensure that, for example, children who may remain standing in the area of the barrier are not hit by the barrier which automatically closes again after a certain time interval, the arrangement has a further scanning device which determines whether a person is in the vicinity of the barrier Barrier, whereby the barrier is held in its open state until the further scanning detects no more person in the scanned area.

The DE 93 14 530 U1 describes a swing door for a people passage with a hinged door and sensors connected via control means. These sensors are arranged to determine if a person is in the passageway, so that a warning signal can be issued, for example, if the person wants to illegally exit a business provided with such a transit barrier through the transit barrier. The plurality of sensors are arranged so that they can detect the direction of movement of a person moving in the person passage, whereby the control means of the swing gate can detect an illegal use of the person passage.

Based on the aforementioned prior art, it is an object of the present invention, an alternative and improved passage barrier with a blocking element pivotable about a pivot axis within a pivoting range, a sensor detecting the presence of a person in the pivoting range and a corresponding electronic evaluation unit for evaluating the output signals to create the sensors.

This object is achieved according to the present invention by a passage barrier according to claim 1 and by a method for operating such a passage barrier according to claim 8. The dependent claims relate to individual embodiments of the present invention.

The passage barrier according to the present invention comprises at least one within a pivoting range pivotable about a pivot axis blocking element, at least one detecting the presence of a person in the swivel range sensor with at least one detection waves emitting transmitting and at least one receiving device and an electronic evaluation unit for evaluating the output signals of the sensor. The at least one pivotable blocking element can be, for example, one or more pivoting doors, a turnstile or the like. The detection waves are preferably light beams, although other detection waves may be used, such as ultrasonic waves or the like.

According to the invention, the transmitting device and the receiving device of the sensor system are arranged such that a detection shaft extending from the transmitting device to the receiving device extends through the pivoting region of the blocking element, wherein the blocking element is at least partially formed from a material that is permeable to detection waves. In the area of the detection-wave-transmitting material of the blocking element, the detection shaft emitted by the transmitting device can pass the blocking element even in the pivoted state, which is why the presence of a person within the pivoting range can be detected even during the pivoting of the blocking element and pivoted blocking element. In this case, the detection wave transmission of the material is preferably as high as possible in order to prevent a weakening of the intensity of the detection waves as they penetrate the blocking element. Further, it is of great advantage that the detection wave transmitting material hardly or not break the detection wave passing through it, so that the direction of a detection wave is maintained during the penetration of the blocking element. In this way, the structure and arrangement of the sensor as well as the evaluation of the Output signals of the receiving devices are considerably simplified.

Overall, therefore, a passage barrier is created, which requires only a small space in the width direction and in which the presence of a person can be detected safely within the pivoting range of the blocking element. If a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices are provided along the passage of the passage barrier, then the exact position and the direction of movement of a person in the passage of the passage barrier including the pivoting area can also be detected.

The detection wave transmissive material of the blocking element is preferably glass or plastic which transmits a predetermined wavelength range, these materials should have a very high permeability with respect to the respective wavelengths and should not cause refraction of a light beam penetrating the material.

Preferably, the at least one transmitting device and the at least one receiving device are provided in opposite, at least partially defining a passage through the passage barrier partitions, resulting in a particularly simple construction of the passage barrier, since no additional holding elements for the transmitting and receiving devices must be provided.

The transmitting device is preferably connected via at least one waveguide to a source generating detection waves, for example via an optical fiber having a light source. A significant advantage of this construction is that a plurality of transmitting devices can be connected to a single source via a corresponding number of waveguides. Furthermore, waveguides can be easily installed, for which only very little space is required.

Preferably, the transmitting device further comprises a detection wave deflection device, for example a mirror, when the detection waves are light waves. A waveguide in combination with such a detection wave deflection device is to the effect of advantage that the wave exit end of the waveguide does not have to point in the direction in which the detection wave is to emerge from the waveguide. Accordingly, it can be dispensed with a bending of the wave exit end of the waveguide, which normally requires a relatively large amount of space. Accordingly, laid in partitions waveguides can be laid completely parallel to the large surfaces of the partitions, the detection waves also leave the waveguide in a direction parallel to the large surfaces of the partitions and finally by the Detektorwellenumlenkeinrichtung, which takes up little space in a be deflected predetermined direction, which is hereinafter with reference to Fig. 2 is described in more detail.

If the passage barrier according to the invention comprises dividing walls, they preferably have, at least partially, a material which is permeable to detection waves, so that the dividing walls do not have to be provided with outlet openings for the detection waves. In this way, on the one hand reduces the production cost and on the other hand, the appearance of the passage barrier can be improved. According to a further embodiment of the passage barrier according to the invention, this preferably comprises a sensor for detecting a pivoting angle of the blocking element. This is particularly advantageous if it is to be assumed that a detection wave emitted by a transmitting device is broken in one or more predetermined pivoting angles of the blocking element due to its design or shaping, so that the detection wave does not hit the receiving device associated with the transmitting device For example, refraction may be caused by the vertically extending free edge of a conventional hinged door while the edge is pivoted by the detection wave. Such swivel angle or swivel angle ranges can be considered accordingly in the evaluation of the output signals of the sensor to prevent detection errors.

Finally, the present invention relates to a method for operating a passage barrier of the aforementioned type, wherein the signals of the at least one sensor as a function of the pivot angle of the at least one blocking element to be evaluated.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Durchgangssperre und

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht einer Trennwand der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Durchgangssperre.

Fign. 3a bis 3d

zeigen schematische Ansichten der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Durchgangssperre, wobei das Sperrelement der Durchgangssperre in jeweils verschiedenen Schwenkstellungen dargestellt ist.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the passage barrier according to the invention with reference to the drawings. In it is:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an embodiment of a passage barrier according to the invention and

Fig. 2

a plan view of a partition of in Fig. 1 illustrated passage barrier.

FIGS. 3a to 3d

show schematic views of in Fig. 1 illustrated passage barrier, wherein the blocking element of the passage barrier is shown in each case different pivot positions.

Like reference numerals refer to like components below.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a passage barrier 10 according to the present invention. The passage barrier 10 comprises a passage area 12 which is delimited on one side by a partition wall 14 and on the other side by partition walls 16 and 18 extending parallel to the partition wall 14 and aligned with each other. The partition wall 14 is held between two stator elements 20 and 22, which also serve as a receiving housing for electronic components. Also, the partition walls 16 and 18 are held between such uprights elements 24 and 26 and 28 and 30, wherein between the stator elements 26 and 28, a motor-driven, vertically extending rotary shaft 32 is received. With the rotary shaft 32, a door-like trained locking element 34 is firmly connected, so that this together with the rotary shaft 32 about a pivot axis 36 within a pivoting range 38, the in Fig. 1 is indicated by a semicircle, is pivotable. The blocking element 34 is used for selectively enabling or blocking the passage region 12 of FIG It is formed of a translucent material which hardly attenuates the intensity of the light rays passing through the barrier element 34 and causes substantially no refraction of such light rays, so that they pass the barrier element 34 in almost all pivotal positions without undergoing a change of direction. For detecting the presence of a person within the passage area 12, the passage barrier 10 comprises a sensor. The sensors have a number of light barriers, each with a transmitting device 40 and a receiving device 42, which are integrated opposite one another in the partitions 14 and 16 or 14 and 18. The transmitting devices 40 transmit detection waves in the form of light beams received from the corresponding receiving devices 42. For this purpose, the transmitting devices 40 via optical fibers 44, which also extend in the partition wall 14, with an in Fig. 1 not shown corresponding light source connected. The transmitting devices 40 may be connected to a common light source. Alternatively, it is also possible that in each case a light source is received in the stator elements 20 and 22, respectively. The construction of the transmission devices 40 is described with reference to FIG Fig. 2 explained in more detail. The receiving devices 42 are connected via conductors 46 to an evaluation unit, not shown, which evaluates the output signals of the receiving devices 42 for detecting the presence of a person in the passage area 12 of the passage barrier 10. If one of the light beams between a transmitting device 40 and an associated receiving device 42, the in Fig. 1 are indicated by dashed lines, interrupted by a person moving through the passage area 12 person, this fact is detected by the corresponding receiving device 42, whereupon the evaluation unit concludes the presence of a person. Since the transmitting and receiving devices 40, 42 are provided at different positions along the passage area 12, it is also possible to deduce the exact position of the person within the passage area 12 based on the fact which light beam is interrupted. If, furthermore, the sequence in which the light beams are broken through is evaluated, the direction of movement of the person through the passage region 12 can also be determined.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a part of in Fig. 1 The light waveguide 44 extends in the longitudinal direction 48 through the partition wall 14. At the free end 50 of the optical waveguide 44, a light beam 52 is coupled in the longitudinal direction 48, which strikes a deflection device 54 and is deflected by this in the transverse direction 56 , resulting in the light beam 58. The deflector 54 has the significant advantage that the optical fiber 44 need not be bent in the transverse direction 56 to produce a light beam 58 in the transverse direction 56, to which a larger dimension of the partition wall 14 in the transverse direction 56 would be required. Due to the deflecting device 54, the partition 14 can thus be made narrower, which on the one hand material can be saved and on the other hand, a filigree overall impression of the passage barrier 10 is generated.

The optical waveguides 44 and the corresponding deflection devices 54 can be integrated into the partition wall 14, for example by providing corresponding recesses in the partition wall 14, which are closed again after the arrangement of the components. Alternatively, the partition wall 14 may be formed in a multi-layered manner. For example, the partition wall 14 may be formed in three layers, wherein in the middle layer, the components are provided.

The partition walls 14, 16 and 18 are preferably formed of a translucent material, so that the light emitted from the transmitting means 40 light beams can pass through the partitions, without the need for additional recesses or the like must be provided. Furthermore, the material of the partition walls 14, 16 and 18 is preferably selected such that the light beams emitted by the transmitting devices 40 can penetrate them unbroken and without intensity losses.

The FIGS. 3a to 3d show schematically the in Fig. 1 illustrated passage barrier 10 with the locking element 34 in different pivot positions. For the sake of simplicity, only one light barrier is shown whose light beam is indicated by the dashed line 60.

Is the blocking element 34 in its blocking position, as in Fig. 3a shown is, the emitted from the transmitting device 40 light beam 60 is easily received by the receiving device 42.

Now, the blocking element 34 is pivoted by the angle α, which in Fig. 3b 1, the vertically extending free edge 62 of the blocking element 34 first intersects the light beam 60. Due to the geometry of the edge 62, the light beam 60 is refracted so that it no longer strikes the associated receiving device 42, thereby affecting human detection an error is generated.

If now the blocking element 34 is further pivoted beyond the angle α, see FIGS. 3c and 3d Thus, the light beam 60 penetrates the blocking element 34 due to its material unbroken and impinges on the receiving device 42nd

In order to eliminate the error generated in the swivel angle α, the signals transmitted in the angular range by the angle α from the receiving device 42 to the evaluation unit are disregarded in the evaluation. For this purpose, the passage barrier 10 comprises a sensor, not shown, which detects the pivot angle of the blocking element 34 and forwards it to the evaluation unit.

It should be understood that the previously described embodiment of the passage barrier according to the invention is not limiting. Rather, modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Passage barrier

12

Passage area

14

partition wall

16

partition wall

18

partition wall

20

stand element

22

stand element

24

stand element

26

stand element

28

stand element

30

stand element

32

rotary shaft

34

blocking element

36

swivel axis

38

swivel range

40

transmitting device

42

receiver

44

optical fiber

46

ladder

48

line direction

50

free end

52

beam of light

54

deflecting

56

transversely

58

beam of light

60

beam of light

62

edge

Claims (8)

1. Passage barrier (10) comprising at least one barrier element (34) which may be pivoted about a pivot axis within a pivoting region (38), at least one sensor unit which detects the presence of a person in the pivoting region and comprises at least one transmitting device (40) emitting detection waves and at least one receiving device (42) and an electronic evaluation unit for evaluating the output signals of the sensor unit, characterised in that the transmitting device (40) and the receiving device (42) are arranged such that a detection wave extending from the transmitting device (40) to the receiving device (42) extends through the pivoting region (38) of the barrier element (34), and in that the barrier element (34) is formed at least partially from a material which is permeable to detection waves.
2. Passage barrier (10) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the material of the barrier element (34) which is permeable to detection waves is glass or plastics.
3. Passage barrier (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transmitting device (40) is connected to a source generating detection waves via at least one waveguide (44).
4. Passage barrier (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transmitting device (40) comprises at least one detection wave deflection device (54).
5. Passage barrier (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transmitting device (40) and the receiving device (42) are provided in partitions (14, 16, 18) opposing one another and at least partially defining a passage area (12) through the passage barrier (10).
6. Passage barrier (10) according to Claim 5, characterised in that the partitions (14, 16, 18) at least partially comprise a material which is permeable to detection waves.
7. Passage barrier (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the passage barrier (10) comprises a sensor unit for detecting the pivot angle of the barrier element (34).
8. Method for operating a passage barrier (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the signals of the at least one sensor unit are evaluated depending on the pivot angle of the at least one barrier element (34).

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