ITPD20100048U1 - ASSEMBLY OF AUTOMATIC DOOR WITH VERTICAL MOVEMENT - Google Patents

Description

ASSEMBLY OF AUTOMATIC DOOR WITH VERTICAL MOVEMENT

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to an automatic door assembly with vertical movement, which comprises a door with at least one substantially linear sliding element, motor means for opening and closing the door, and a control unit that controls the means engines.

Background of the invention

Various automatic doors are known in the state of the art, such as for example those configured in the form of a shutter with horizontal slats, rapid industrial doors that can be rolled up, folded, etc. Some of these doors are equipped with sheets of flexible material, with or without horizontal reinforcements, and others are made up of a plurality of rigid or semi-rigid slats. In roll-up doors, the slats or the sheet wrap around a drum when the door is opened, while in folding doors in general the different panels that make up the door are collected side by side.

High-speed industrial doors are usually used, for example, in warehouses or plants where it is necessary to isolate distinct areas for reasons of temperature, drafts, etc., but at the same time it is necessary to facilitate frequent traffic of trolleys and the like.

The control unit can command the opening and closing in a fully automatic way, to raise the door when it detects the approach of a person or vehicle and lower it again when the person or vehicle has crossed the door. Detection can be done in many different ways: radar, photocell, magnetic detector, etc. It is also possible to provide opening buttons or handles, or remote controls.

Furthermore, the legislation requires that the door be associated with some type of safety system to prevent the door from causing damage to a person or a vehicle that for some reason is in its path when it is closed. The damage can be due to the pressure exerted by the door on the obstacle, which is partly due to the weight of the door, but in some cases, it can be increased in the fractions of a second following the initial impact due to the force exerted by the motor, when for example in a shutter the slats are stacked on top of each other and the power of the motor is transmitted through the slats to the obstacle.

The legislation limits both the maximum force to which the obstacle can be subjected and the maximum time during which this force can act, and the safety systems must guarantee the opening of the door before said maximum values are exceeded.

For this reason, some known systems comprise an empty safety edge made of elastomeric material, located at the lower end of the door so as to remain in contact with the ground when the door is closed; a contact sensor is arranged inside this edge so that when the edge deforms, for example because it encounters an obstacle, the contact closes and the door control unit reverses the movement of the motor and reopens the door. There are also safety edges that include an optical sensor: in this case the deformation of the edge material interrupts the transmission between an emitter and a receiver located at the ends of the coast, and allows detection.

However, the safety edges are relatively complex to install. The rib itself must have a shape capable of deforming itself adequately in the event of a collision and of adapting well to the ground when the door is closed; moreover, its assembly requires the addition of profiles in the lower part of the door, to support the edge.

Another disadvantage of these systems is that, for the entire life of the door, the safety edges easily deteriorate and therefore require considerable maintenance. In fact, on the one hand, the safety edge itself in elastomeric material deteriorates due to its exposure to the elements and the deformation to which it is subjected when it is in the closed position (to ensure that the door is well adapted to the ground and thus reduce the risk that the door can be forced), therefore at some point the detection will be wrong and it will be necessary to replace the edge; on the other hand, small orifices and cracks easily form on the coast through which dust and humidity can enter, causing deterioration of the contacts and / or sensor leads.

There are also safety systems based on optical sensors, such as photocells, arranged on both sides of the door frame to detect obstacles on the path of the door and stop the closing movement before there is contact with the obstacle.

These systems have the advantage that they initially avoid any contact of the door with the obstacle and do not present the risks of deterioration of other systems; however, if only a few sensors are placed, the system does not cover all the light of the door, therefore it is possible that an obstacle located on the closing trajectory will not be detected and therefore the door will not stop; it is also possible to place sensors to cover the entire light of the door, but in this case the system has high costs. Furthermore, in any case, the installation of the sensors is not easy.

Description of the invention

On the basis of what has been described above, an objective of the present invention is to provide an effective and reliable system for avoiding or minimizing damage in the event that the door encounters an obstacle on its trajectory during the closing movement, which is easy to install and maintain and at relatively low cost.

This object is achieved, according to claim 1, by providing an automatic vertical movement door assembly of the aforementioned type, characterized in that it further comprises an accelerometer mounted on a substantially linear sliding element of the door and arranged to detect the acceleration of said element, means for comparing the accelerometer reading with a predetermined range of values, and means for acting on the motor means through the control unit, in the event that the accelerometer reading is not included in the predetermined range of values.

With this configuration, the movement of the door can be automatically and substantially instantaneously reversed when it accidentally hits an obstacle, since said impact causes an unexpected change in the speed of the door element on which the accelerometer is arranged.

At the same time, the detection system has a relatively low cost and is installed more easily and quickly than the security systems of the prior art, since it can be mounted on both new and existing doors. The system requires little maintenance, since all the components can be perfectly protected from the external environment in casings or casings that are not subjected to any type of stress or deterioration.

Preferably, the accelerometer is located near the lower end of the door.

In embodiments of the invention, the means for comparing the accelerometer reading with a predetermined range of values is associated with the accelerometer.

The means for comparing the accelerometer reading with a range of predetermined values preferably comprises means for converting the accelerometer reading into data representative of the gate speed and comparing them with a range of predetermined speed values.

Preferably, the control unit comprises calibration means for establishing the range of predetermined values. In embodiments of the invention, these calibration means are adapted to establish the range of predetermined values on the basis of readings taken during at least one closing maneuver of the door without obstacles.

In accordance with one embodiment, the control unit includes means for processing the accelerometer reading and converting it into data representative of the door speed; in this case, this data representative of the gate speed is compared with a range of predetermined speed values. In particularly suitable embodiments, the gate assembly comprises radio frequency communication devices associated with the control unit and the accelerometer.

The door assembly may comprise a high-speed roll-up or collapsible door with a flexible sheet and which includes at least one rigid horizontal element in its lower part; the accelerometer is therefore associated with said rigid element.

Alternatively, the gate assembly may comprise a rapid gate comprising a plurality of rigid horizontal elements, and the accelerometer is then associated with one of the lower gate elements.

According to another possibility, the door assembly comprises a louver-type door with a plurality of horizontal slats, and the accelerometer is associated with one of the lower slats of the door.

Preferably, the door assembly comprises a power source for the accelerometer, which is mounted on the moving part of the door.

The gate assembly may further comprise electromagnetic induction charging means of the power source.

The electromagnetic induction loading means can comprise a first coil mounted fixed, outside the moving part of the door, said first coil being powered by the electrical network, and a second coil mounted on the moving part of the door and connected to the power source of the door. accelerometer; the accelerometer power source is then charged by electric current induced by the first coil in the second coil when said coils are close to each other and facing each other.

The first coil and the second coil can be mounted so that they are close to each other and in position facing each other when the door is fully closed, or alternatively, when the door is fully open.

In an alternate embodiment, the door assembly comprises a solar panel for charging the power source. The panel can be mounted on the moving part of the door.

In embodiments of the invention, the power source of the accelerator can comprise a capacitor, a cell or a battery.

Brief description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the above, some drawings are attached in which a practical embodiment case is represented schematically and only by way of non-limiting example.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a door assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; And

Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a situation in which, during the closing process, an obstacle is placed in the path of the door.

Description of preferred embodiments

In Figure 1, the automatic door assembly according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a door 101, in this case formed by slats or transverse elements, the element 110 being the lower one, a motor 112 and a control unit 100 which controls the movement of the door.

On the other hand, the gate assembly comprises an accelerometer 108, arranged in the element 110 of the gate 101, by means of which it is possible to know the acceleration and the speed of said lower element 110.

The element 110 is in this case the lower door slat; similarly, in a flexible high-speed door it can be the rigid bar present in the final part of the sheet. In all cases, the accelerometer is located in the lower part of the moving part of the door and is associated with an element that has a substantially linear movement: that is, an element that does not rotate, but which, at least during most of the maneuver closing the door, it moves vertically while remaining on the plane of the door.

The accelerometer detects at all times the acceleration of the element 110 in the vertical direction.

Obviously, the speed of the element 110 and of the door is zero (or substantially zero) when the door is in a fully open state or in a fully closed state, and is non-zero during the closing processes. closing (downward movement) and opening (upward movement) of the door.

The speed of the element 110 abruptly decreases and becomes equal to zero (or substantially equal to zero) when an obstacle blocks the trajectory of the door in its downward movement during the closing process; this unexpected speed is the key indicator that allows to detect the blocking situation and the possible presence of an obstacle.

Associated with the accelerometer 108 is a control circuit which determines the speed on the basis of the detected acceleration, and which compares the determined speed with an interval of predetermined speed values.

In this way, in the event that an incidence occurs during closure, this incidence will be detected since the accelerometer reading will not be within the predetermined range of values.

In the event that the accelerometer control circuit 108 detects a speed outside the predetermined range of values, it will send a signal to the control unit 100, which will act on the motor 112 to correct the movement of the door, reversing the maneuver and reopening the door.

Ultimately, the system is able to reverse the movement of the motor and the door if a speed value is detected that does not satisfy the model defined on the basis of a range of predetermined values, taking into account a tolerance margin.

The door assembly further comprises calibration or programming means for the purpose of being able to establish the range of predetermined values of the speed and / or acceleration of the door during the closing movement, based on readings taken by the accelerometer during one or a few complete door closing maneuvers when it is free from obstacles. In this way the range of predetermined values can be adjusted for each specific door, after installation and before commissioning.

The control unit 100 is able to detect the position of the door at any time, for example starting from the motor 112, and to transmit it to the accelerometer. Therefore, the range of predetermined values establishes the expected behavior of the door over time, starting from the beginning of the closing process, with a certain margin of tolerance. Subsequently, during normal operation, during each closing maneuver, the data supplied by the accelerometer are compared with the range of predetermined values.

The accelerometer 108 and the control unit 100 are associated with respective radio frequency emitters / receivers 109 and 111. This wireless communication allows to avoid the use of cables to connect the control unit 100 (static element) and the accelerometer 108 (moving element). Alternatively, it is possible to use special cables, such as flexible cables or spiral cables, to connect the accelerometer and the control unit.

In the embodiment shown, the gate also comprises a power source for the accelerometer, with an electromagnetic induction charging system.

For this reason, a high-capacity capacitor 107 is associated with the accelerometer 108, which allows to accumulate large quantities of energy starting from relatively low currents. Said capacitor 107 is the power source of the accelerometer, although this can also comprise a rechargeable battery or any other suitable means of energy storage.

The charging system comprises a first emitting coil or coil 104, which is powered from the mains, for example in the control unit 100 through connection 103, and a second receiving coil or coil 105, which is connected to the capacitor 107 of the accelerometer 108 via connection 106. The emitting coil 104 and the receiving coil 105 are of high frequency, for example at 100 KHz or more and may be coreless coils.

In the figure, the two coils 104, 105 are mounted so that they are close to each other, facing each other, when the door is in the closed state: the emitting coil 104 is placed on the wall or on the fixed door frame, outside the moving part of the door 101, and the receiving coil 105 is located on the moving part of the door 101, in this case at the end of the lower element 110.

While the door is closed, the coil system charges capacitor 107, which in turn powers the accelerometer.

This charging system avoids the use of cables to connect the power source 107 of the accelerometer (located in the moving part of the door) to the power supply network, or the maintenance operations required to replace the batteries.

Similarly and depending on the use to be given to the door assembly, the coils 104, 105 can be placed so that they are facing each other and so that loading takes place when the door is in its position. fully open position, for example if the door is expected to remain open most of the time.

Instead of the capacitor you can use rechargeable batteries, or even batteries that must be replaced with a certain periodicity.

If a capacitor or rechargeable battery is used as a power source, an alternative to induction charging can be the use of solar panels. This alternative could be particularly suitable, for example, in external doors, a solar panel being able to be mounted on the moving part of the door in order to make the connection to the battery easier.

Figure 2 illustrates a particularity of the operation of a door assembly according to some embodiments of the invention: it shows a rolling door, for example a louvered shutter that are linked together with a certain play, so that the door has the necessary flexibility to be wrapped; the slats can be stacked on top of each other in a condition of maximum contraction, or they can remain at a small distance from each other, in a condition of maximum relaxation.

Figure 2 represents the door assembly when an obstacle 203, in this case a person, is interposed on the descending trajectory of the door, during the closing process. Specifically, it refers to the moment when the safety system described above detects the obstacle and reverses the movement of the door. At the moment of impact the person 203 suffers only the pressure resulting from the weight of the slats which are stacked thereon (indicated with the reference number 202 in the figure); on the contrary, the other reeds (201), which are in a state of maximum relaxation, do not exert a downward force, and the motor torque is not transmitted through the reeds and does not exert any force on the person 203.

The safety system described above detects the obstacle 203 substantially instantaneously (that is, in a few hundredths of a second), therefore the number of slats 202 that stack up to the state of maximum contraction before the engine stops will always be very low, and therefore the door will only exert a minimum force on the obstacle.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and represented, it is clear that the person skilled in the art will be able to introduce variants and modifications, or replace the details with other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims. For example, even if a system has been described in which a circuit of the same accelerometer converts acceleration into velocity and compares it with a predetermined velocity range, some or all of these operations can be carried out in a similar way in the unit of control of the door assembly.

Claims (18)

Claims 1. Vertical movement automatic door assembly comprising a door with at least one substantially linear sliding element, motor means for opening and closing the door, and a control unit that controls the motor means, characterized in that further comprising an accelerometer mounted on a substantially linear sliding element of the door and arranged to detect the acceleration of said element, means for comparing the reading of the accelerometer with a range of predetermined values, and means for acting on the motor means through the control unit, if the accelerometer reading is not within the predetermined range of values. Door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the accelerometer is located near the lower end of the door. 3. Gate assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for comparing the accelerometer reading with an interval of predetermined values are associated with the accelerometer. Gate assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for comparing the accelerometer reading with a range of predetermined values comprises means for converting the accelerometer reading into data representative of the gate speed and comparing them with a range of predetermined speed values. Gate assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises calibration means for establishing the range of predetermined values. 6. Door assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the calibration means are adapted to establish the range of predetermined values on the basis of readings taken during at least one maneuver for closing the door without obstacles. 7. Door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises radio frequency communication devices associated with the control unit and the accelerometer. Door assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is a fast rolling or folding door with a flexible sheet and which includes at least one rigid horizontal element in its lower part, the accelerometer being associated with said element stiff. Door assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is a rapid door comprising a plurality of rigid horizontal elements, and in that the accelerometer is associated with one of the lower elements of the door. Door assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is a shutter-type door with a plurality of horizontal slats, and in that the accelerometer is associated with one of the lower slats of the door. Door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a power source for the accelerometer, which is mounted on the movable part of the door. Door assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises loading means by electromagnetic induction of the power source. 13. Door assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that the electromagnetic induction loading means comprise a first coil mounted fixed, outside the movable part of the door, said first coil being powered by the electrical network, and a second coil mounted on the moving part of the door and connected to the power source of the accelerometer, and by the fact that the power source of the accelerometer is charged by electric current induced by the first coil in the second coil when said coils are close to each other and in position one facing each other. Door assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that the first coil and the second coil are mounted so as to be close to each other and in position facing each other when the door is completely closed. Door assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that the first coil and the second coil are mounted so as to be close to each other and in position facing each other when the door is fully open. 16. Door assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a solar panel for charging the power source. Door assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that the solar panel is mounted on the movable part of the door. Door assembly according to any of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that the power source of the accelerator comprises a capacitor, a cell or a battery.