EP3584368B1

EP3584368B1 - Chain barrier with safety device

Info

Publication number: EP3584368B1
Application number: EP18178760.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Egidio SARTORETTO; Michele GROSSO; Andrea Cadamuro
Original assignee: Came SpA
Current assignee: Came SpA
Priority date: 2018-06-20
Filing date: 2018-06-20
Publication date: 2021-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-20
Also published as: EP3584368A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a chain barrier with a safety device.

PRIOR ART

Chain barriers are known.
They are used for delimiting areas or carparks in order to prevent the use of said areas or carparks by unauthorized personnel or at unpermitted times.
A chain barrier according to the prior art will now be described with reference to the appended figure 1.
A chain barrier 10 comprises a pair of pillars 30,40 between which a chain 20 can be suspended.
Generally, a first pillar 30 has a chain 20 actuating assembly, in particular a gear motor and the second pillar 40 has a counterweight. The actuating assembly is configured to actuate the chain 20 from a first position, wherein it prevents the passage between the two pillars 30,40 to a second position, wherein it leaves the passage free between the two pillars 30,40 and vice versa, everything being operable by a user with controls accessible via a control column 95.
In this second configuration, the chain 20 can be housed temporarily in a guide 80 made at slightly lower level than the road paving so as not to obstruct the passage of authorized vehicles.
A typical problem of chain barriers is caused by the risk of foreign objects obstructing the entry area of the chain in the column.
Such problem is expressed in all its gravity if we think of children, temporarily unsupervised by their parents, who might be hurt, also seriously, when playing near such entrance area of the chain while the chain is moving.
In order to solve such problems, it was initially thought to introduce photocells 90, which can give signals in the areas immediately before and after the chain, but which might not give a signal of danger in the event of being bypassed.
A second known safety device is a device configured to monitor the pulling of the chain during the lifting thereof, so as to identify potential overloads.
This device has two limits: the first limit comes from the variability of the pull during the travel of the chain and the second limit comes from the extremely low sensitivity since the chain is subjected to particularly considerable pull forces.

An example of this kind of safety devices is described in patent document JP2002004624.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a chain barrier with a safety device whose operation does not depend on the force of the pull applied to the chain.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chain barrier with a safety device whose operation is precise and reliable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the present invention intends to achieve the aforesaid objects by means of a system defined by the features of claim 1.
One advantage of such embodiment comes from the fact that thanks thereto, a foreign body trapped in the chain and conveyed towards the inner walls of the pillar of the barrier is identified. In fact, upon a slight displacement with a low force of the walls around the entrance of the chain, a contact is actuated, which interacts on the electronic control of the automation and blocks the movement thereof rather than inverting it.
In one embodiment of the invention, upon an action of the electrical contact, the movement of the chain actuating assembly stops. Alternatively, upon an action of the electric contact, the movement of the chain actuating assembly is inverted until the foreign body is freed from a potential entrapment and then stops.
Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, upon an action of the electrical contact, the movement of the chain actuating assembly is inverted until it opens completely.
Further features of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will become clearer in the light of the following detailed description with the assistance of the accompanying drawing tables, wherein:

figure 1 illustrates a chain barrier according to the prior art;
figure 2 illustrates a front view of a pillar belonging to a chain barrier provided with a safety device according to the present invention;

figure 3 illustrates a side view of a pillar belonging to a chain barrier and provided with a safety device according to the present invention;
figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the pillar in figures 2 and 3;
figures 5 and 6 illustrate cross sections of the pillar in figures 2 and 3; and
figures 7 and 8 illustrate cross sections of a pillar belonging to a chain barrier provided with a safety device according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention will now be described with initial reference to figure 2, figure 1 already having been described with reference to an embodiment of a chain barrier according to the prior art.
Figure 2 illustrates a front view of a pillar 30 belonging to a chain barrier 10.
Internally, the pillar 30 represented comprises a chain 20 actuating assembly, in particular a gear motor.
The chain barrier actuating assembly is configured to actuate the chain 20 from a first position, wherein it leaves the passage free between the two pillars 30,40 to a second position, wherein it prevents the passage between the two pillars 30,40 and vice versa.
A portion of the safety device 60 is also visible in figures 3 and 4 placed at an opening 50 of the pillar 30, said portion being frame-shaped 61.
The frame portion 61 of the safety device 60, in turn, forms a frame around the opening 50 of the pillar 30.
The safety device 60, which is hinged (in 65) in a lower portion of the pillar 30 and has two uprights 62, which connect to the frame-shaped portion 61, is visible in figure 5.
The safety device 60 normally keeps the electrical contact closed by means of the preload force of the traction spring 75 exerted on the hinges 65 (also see figure 6).
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figures 7 and 8, the safety device 60' includes the presence of two movable elements 100, separated from the electrical contacts by the preload force of respective springs 105.
The operation of the safety device 60 in figures 2-5 is as follows.
The chain barrier actuating assembly 10 can be actuated to make the chain 20 pass from a first position, wherein it leaves the passage free between the two pillars 30, 40, to a second position, wherein it prevents the passage between the two pillars 30,40.
In this case, to raise the chain 20 from the ground, the actuating assembly subjects the chain 20 to a pulling action and, since some of the rings of the chain are pulled inside the opening 50 of the pillar 30, if a foreign body is present, this touches the frame 61 of the safety device 60 and consequently the device 60 itself, rotating about the hinges 65 and overcoming the preload force of the same, moves towards the pillar 30 and opens the electrical contact.
The actuation of said electrical contact blocks the operation of the chain 20 actuating assembly, interrupting the movement of the chain 20 itself.
Acoustic and/or light devices can be put into operation to signal a state of danger and/or system failure.
The operation of the safety device 60' in figures 6-7 is similar to that of the device in figures 2-5.
If, during the pulling action to which the chain 20 is subjected, a foreign body is present, this touches one or both of the elements 100 and thus one or both of the elements 100 are pressed towards an electrical contact.
The actuation of said electrical contact blocks the operation of the chain 20 actuating assembly, interrupting the movement of the chain 20 itself.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that, the movement of the safety device 60 (of the safety device 60') can be calibrated so that, upon a slight movement caused by a very low force, the electrical contact is actuated to interrupt and block the movement of the chain 20.
Alternatively, the electronic control, which manages the product can behave in other ways as it winds the chain during identification of the foreign body. In a first case, as said, it can stop the movement and the object could be trapped. In a second case, it can invert the movement for a brief moment, so as to also free the object from possible entrapment and then stop. In another case, it can invert the movement of the chain and open completely.
Preferably, the movement, which the safety device 60,60' undergoes to activate the electrical contact is no greater than 4 mm.
Furthermore, again according to a preferred aspect of the invention, the preload force, which the safety device 60,60' undergoes, is comprised within the range from 2.4 to 3 N.
Clearly, modifications or improvements can be made to the invention thus described without going beyond the scope of the invention as claimed below.

Claims

A system comprising a chain barrier (10) with a safety device (60,60') for the aforesaid chain barrier (10), wherein the chain barrier comprises a pair of pillars (30,40) between which a chain (20) can be suspended and an actuating assembly, placed inside one of the two pillars (30), said actuating assembly being configured to actuate the chain (20) through an opening (50) of the pillar (30) from a first position, wherein it leaves the passage free between the two pillars (30,40) to a second position, wherein it prevents the passage between the two pillars (30,40) and vice versa, and where the safety device (60,60') is configured to intervene in the event of danger, characterized in that said safety device (60) comprises at least one movable element (70), applied at the opening (50) of the pillar (30), housing said actuating assembly, where said safety device (60) is configured to move in the event of contact with a foreign body about to enter into said opening (50), where said movement is calibrated to actuate an electrical contact, which acts on operation of the chain (20) actuating assembly.
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein, upon an action of the electrical contact, the movement of the chain (20) actuating assembly stops.
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein, upon an action of the electrical contact, the movement of the chain (20) actuating assembly is inverted until the foreign body is freed from a possible entrapment and then stops.
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein, upon an action of the electrical contact, the movement of the chain (20) actuating assembly is inverted until it is completely open.
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein, the movable element (70) of the safety device (60) is hinged to the pillar (30,40) and normally keeps the electrical contact closed by means of the preload force of a traction spring (75) exerted on the hinges (65).
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the safety device (60) has a frame portion (61) placed about the opening (50) of the pillar (30), said frame portion (61) being connected, by means of two uprights (62) to hinge points (65) of the safety device (60) to the pillar (30).
A chain barrier system (10) according to claim 1, wherein two movable elements (100) are included, separated from the electrical contacts by preload forces exerted by respective springs (105).
A chain barrier system (10) according to the preceding claims, wherein the movement, which the safety device (60,60') undergoes to activate the electrical contact, is no greater than 4 mm.
A chain barrier system (10) according to the preceding claims, wherein the preload force, which the safety device (60,60') undergoes, is comprised within the range from 2.4 to 3 N.