RU2376157C1 - Pneumatic drive of vehicle doors with passenger electronic anti-seizure protection - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: automotive industry.

SUBSTANCE: proposed pneumatic drive comprises pneumatic cylinder controlled by air control valve, micro switches or end position pickups that locate door end positions and anti-seizure system with electronic unit. The latter operates as a timer self-tuning to door flap complete stroke between two extreme positions and allows for possible changes in open-close time intervals by measuring and memorising them to generate appropriate signal with comprehensive tolerance for nest operating cycle. Tolerance exceeded, pneumatic drive switches over to opposite direction. Besides, electronic unit performs double locking of open-close automatic function by de-energising electronic unit output power key with door in extreme position. Electronic key can be used in system protecting travel pickup with a rack, which can switch over to self-tuning timer operation without rack but with end position pickup independent of said rack.

EFFECT: simpler design, higher reliability.

1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of pneumatics and can be used as an actuator for controlling door leaves of buses and trolleybuses with protecting passengers from being clamped by door leaves.

A known system for automatically opening and closing sliding doors of a car is a patent (CA 2218946) [1]. In a system for automatically opening and closing sliding doors, a cable 4, rigidly fixed to the sliding door, is wound around the drum 10 to automatically open or close the sliding door, and there are tensioners 11a and 11b between the drum 10 and the sliding door. Further, on the tensioners there are rails 20 of the sensing element for determining the speed of movement of the tensioners 11a and 11b. If the speed of movement of the tensioners 11a and 11b is greater than a predetermined value set in advance, then in cases where the position of the sliding door is not fully open or completely closed, it is concluded that there has been a clamp and should be removed.

However, this clamp protection system includes complex mechanical mating devices - tensioners, movable pulleys, tension springs, which inevitably reduces its reliability, requires careful adjustment during installation and leads to a number of other negative properties in operation.

1. Monitoring the position of the door and the moment of clamping of any object is assigned to two semi-automatic devices: a Hall sensor 16 mounted on the output shaft 9a of the electric motor 9, and a sensor rail 20 mounted on the tensioner 11a and moving synchronously with it, the speed of movement of which detected by the sensor 21. Moreover, to control the processes of opening and closing, two rails 20 of the sensing element and two sensors 21 are provided separately for closing the door and separately for opening the door. Moreover, each rail-sensor pair should have its own tensioner 11a or 11b, a fixed pulley 18a or 18b, a movable pulley 12a or 12b, a lever 19, tension springs 13a or 13b.

When clamping, the cable 4 on the winding side is stretched, and the movable pulley 12a moves upward, overcoming the resistance of the tension spring 13a. Accordingly, if the spring 13a is broken, the tensioner 11a and the sensor rail 20 will stop (fix) in the upper position by unhindered action of the cable 4 on them, which will be evaluated by the system as the position of the absence of a clamp when opening or closing, when the passenger actually clamps the door. That is, the reliability of the tracking system in this case depends on the factor of the possible failure of the tension spring 13a of the movable pulley 12a. If this situation occurs during the parking or movement of the car with the tensioner 11a and the rail 20 of the sensing element in the lower position, it is possible that the vehicle door will either not open or will not close, because under the action of the cable 4, in the absence of resistance of the broken spring 13a, the tensioner 11a and the rail 20 of the sensor almost instantly deviate to its highest position, and the electronic control device 8, receiving the signal from the sensor 20 and the sensor 21, will conclude of that immediately after the start of the opening or closing immediately when there was a clip. Provided that the door is open, the car will not be able to continue to move with the door open for safety reasons, and if the door is closed, the problem of disembarking and landing passengers, etc.

2. The speed sensor (system of rail 20 and sensor 21) takes into account and distinguishes only the fact of a sharp decrease in the speed of the door, i.e. reacts to the "negative acceleration" of the door. At the same time, it is not possible to introduce a limitation of the value of the time interval from the moment the door slows down to the moment of the necessary engine reverse if this slowdown occurs gradually. Therefore, if an elastic element that has the property of gradually deforming under the action of the door side enters the doorway, the load from the door side on the cable 4 may not be sufficient so that the tensioner 11a and the rack 20 move at a speed exceeding a predetermined threshold value . In this case, the rail 20 will relatively slowly move to its highest position, which means that the clamp signal will not be sent to the control device 8 and the reverse of the motor 9 will not be turned on, therefore, the clamp will occur.

3. The system from the rail 20 and the sensor 21 does not provide information about the extreme positions of the door. Another system is responsible for this (the output shaft 9a of the electric motor 9. A magnet 15 with ten poles mounted on the output shaft and a Hall sensor 16), which determines the extreme positions of the door according to the number of engine revolutions made from the moment the corresponding signals were sent to open or close.

Since a cable 4 is used as a working body for moving the door, it is fixed in tension devices located in the pulley blocks 6a and 6b, there is a possibility of easing its tension. In this case, the speed of the pulley 10 may increase until the door is completely closed or opened, which may cause the door sensor to incorrectly determine the position of the door 16. Moreover, if the information from the door position tracking system about the door end position has not yet passed to the control device 8 , but in reality the door has already closed, then the signal from the sensor 21 will arrive, the system will perceive this situation as a clip and the door will be impossible to close. A similar situation may occur when opening the door.

4. The Hall sensors 16 used in this device are not installed on the working body for moving the door - cable 4, which makes it difficult to directly monitor the speed of movement of the door and its position, as well as to compare changes in the speed of movement of the door in previous opening or closing cycles caused by internal resistances and wear of mechanical parts.

The closest system that can be taken as a prototype is the pneumatic drive of vehicle doors with a slit magnetically sensitive sensor and electronic anti-lock device, patent RU 2313457 C2 [2].

In this device, in the gap of the magnetosensitive sensor, a steel rail freely moves with holes of any geometric shape. The rail is mounted on the rod of the pneumatic cylinder and together with it performs a linear reciprocating movement. The signal period (the interval between two fronts of adjacent pulses) is equal to the time interval for the passage of the discrete section of the stroke (l) of the door control pneumatic actuator rod. Full stroke (L) is conditionally divided into n discrete sections. This clamp protection device works on the principle of tracking and storing the time intervals of each discrete section of the rail in the sensor gap and, based on these data, determining the fact of “clamping” while reducing the pneumatic actuator stem speed below the tolerance. Moreover, the specified tolerance can be set using various algorithms for processing data on time intervals for moving discrete sections of the rail.

In the patent RU 2313457 C2 [2] two main versions of the algorithm for processing data on the time intervals of passage of discrete sections of the rail are presented:

a) first

measuring the time interval of the passage of the n-th discrete section, and then comparing the n-th interval stored in the memory with the subsequent ones, while

t _{n + 1} > K · t _n , but not more than t _s - protection operation condition,

where t _{n + 1} is the current timer time, monitored from the moment of receipt of the next edge of the pulse from the sensor (in anticipation of the next edge);

t _n is the time interval measured during the passage of the previous discrete section;

K is a criterion whose value can be adjusted;

t _c is the critical time constraint.

b) second

during the movement of the rod, the storage in memory of all time intervals during which it passes each discrete portion of the stroke and on the next cycle of movement compares each interval of the current cycle with the corresponding interval of the previous cycle. Wherein

t _n ^{(m + 1)} > K · t _n ^(m) - condition for the operation of the protection,

where t _n ^{(m + 1)} is the time interval of passage of the n-th discrete section on the (m + 1) -th motion cycle;

t _n ^(m) is the time interval of passage of the n-th discrete section on the previous m-th motion cycle;

K is a criterion, the numerical value of which can be regulated.

However, this clamp protection system has the following disadvantages.

1. Despite the fact that complex mechanical devices are excluded compared to the patent (CA 2218946) [1], there is a steel rail sliding in the gap of the magnetically sensitive sensor, and two magnetically sensitive sensors and two steel rails (on the rods of each pneumatic cylinder) according to the number of door leaves. Moreover, during opening or closing the door under the action of axial and radial vibration that occurs during the movement of the bus, loosening of the fasteners, it is possible that the axis of attachment of the steel rail to the rod of the pneumatic cylinder cannot be offset (skew) relative to the axis of symmetry of the gap (slit) of the magnetically sensitive sensor, which can lead to jamming of the steel rail in the gap (slit) of the magnetically sensitive sensor, its kink, and ultimately to failure of the entire door opening closing system responsible for the safety of the pass fats.

2. The data processing algorithms provided by patent RU 2313457 C2 [2] also have disadvantages.

The first version of the algorithm for processing data on the time intervals of passage of discrete sections of the rail provides for the need to ensure that there are no sudden changes in the speed of the door during conditionally normal (without external obstacles) door movement, otherwise false protection may be triggered.

In addition, to ensure a sufficiently complete correspondence between the recorded drop in speed and a real increase in the effort on the rod, the largest possible number of rail holes is necessary (the strict correspondence described by the formulas of patent RU 2313457 C2 is valid only in the limit, with an infinitely small discrete). If the number of discrete sections of the rail (that is, the number of holes) is small, then with smooth braking of the rod the force increases until the movement stops completely and the criterion for the operation of the protection is only the restriction time parameter t _c , and not the force on the rod.

The manufacture of the sensor and staff working with a large number of holes, and therefore with their small size and high pulse repetition rate, is associated with technical difficulties and the high cost of the sensors.

The second version of the algorithm for processing data on time intervals of passage of discrete sections of the rail provides

either strict correspondence of the number of holes in the rail with the stroke length of the rod (it should be borne in mind that when installed in a real doorway, full travel may not be strictly constant even for the same type of bus and pneumatic drive), or the use of a complex algorithm for self-tuning the system to a real number of discrete sections rails involved in the full passage of the rod, as well as for the initial installation at the first power-up. To ensure a sufficiently close correspondence between the recorded drop in speed and a real increase in the force on the rod (relative to the previous closing cycle), as in the first case, as many rake holes as possible are necessary.

3. In addition, this system is effective mainly in linear-type pneumatic drives, where the number of transmission links between the pneumatic cylinder rod and the door leaf is minimal.

The technical result of the present invention is to simplify the design, due to this, to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of the clamping protection system without compromising the operational properties with respect to real structures and parameters of door mechanisms, expanding the scope of the device and is ensured by the following.

1. Slit magnetically sensitive sensors are excluded. Steel rail with holes of any shape is excluded. To ensure protection against clamping by the closing door, it is necessary to have only sensors of the final closed position, which are used as standard automotive microswitches (it is also possible to use non-contact magnetosensitive proximity sensors of a simpler design than suggested in RU 2313457 C2). If the design of the pneumatic actuator allows the installation of additionally similar sensors of the final open position, the properties of the clamp protection function are somewhat improved and, if necessary, it is possible to introduce protection of passengers from clamping both when the door is closed with a shutter and when the door is opened with an open shutter.

2. The algorithm of the clamp protection function provided by the microprocessor electronic unit works according to the principle of a timer with self-tuning for the real time of movement of this door between the extreme positions. The algorithm can be common for systems with two sensors (for final open and closed positions), and for a system with one sensor (only for final closed position). The electronic unit can be universal for both applications. In the general case, the algorithm is performed as follows.

a) The fully open position is fixed.

In the absence of a sensor of the final open position, the fixation takes place according to the specified maximum allowable time interval elapsed from the moment the driver gives a signal to open until the next signal to close (on each cycle of opening-closing). If before the expiration of this interval a signal is received from the sensor of the final open position, the microcontroller recognizes the presence of this sensor, and the final open position is fixed by this signal. In addition, the time interval for the complete opening of the door from the moment the driver gives the signal to open until the signal is sent by the sensor to the final open position (on each opening-closing cycle) is remembered. Memorization occurs only if the opening signal is given when there is a signal of the final closed position, otherwise the value of the opening time interval from the previous cycle remains in the memory (the memory is not updated).

b) The time interval for the complete closing of the door from the moment the driver gives a signal for closing to the moment the signal is sent by the sensor to the final closed position (on each opening-closing cycle) is remembered. If there are sensors of both the final closed and final open positions, then memorization occurs only if the signal for closing is given in the presence of a signal of the final open position. If the sensor of the final open position is absent, then memorization occurs if the previous open position is fixed according to the specified tolerance according to paragraph 2a. Otherwise, the value of the closing time interval from the previous cycle remains in the memory (the memory is not updated).

c) For two values of the normal closing time intervals on the two previous cycles (opening-closing), the tolerance for the time of full closing on the next (current) cycle is calculated.

In the presence of a sensor of the final open position:

the two values of the normal opening time intervals on the two previous cycles (opening-closing) calculate the tolerance for the time of full opening on the next (current) cycle.

If, at the next cycle, the time elapsed since the closing signal was exceeded exceeds the tolerance previously calculated from the previous two cycles, and there is no signal from the sensor of the final closed position, then an opening signal is issued by the electronic unit (protection against clamping by the closing door is activated).

In the presence of a sensor of the final open position:

if in the next cycle the time elapsed since the opening signal was exceeded exceeds the tolerance previously calculated from the previous two cycles, and there is no signal from the sensor of the final open position, the closing signal is issued by the electronic unit (protection against clamping by the opening door is activated).

d) For the first closing or first opening, which occurs immediately after turning on the power (and loading the microcontroller of the electronic unit), the tolerance for the full stroke time is strictly set and amounts to a rather large time interval (with a margin). In the future, the system is tuned to a real closing time interval for a given door.

e) In order to exclude false protection triggers in various situations associated with violation of the cyclic opening and closing or with an accidental sharp change in the speed of the door, additional measures have been taken in the microcontroller program, the meaning of which is visible from the following formal description of the algorithm. The formulas are given for the case of a single-leaf door, when the sensor of the final open position is absent and only protection against clamping is provided when closing. The numerical values of the time constants are given conditionally (for example).

1) Rules for determining the fact of the presence of a fully open position (in the absence of an open position sensor)

Opening is considered complete in the following cases:

- if an external opening signal is given when there is a signal of the final closed position (the sash is completely closed), then the signal of the final closed position is turned off and after that time passes at least 2 seconds until the next closing signal is given;

- if the opening signal is given in the absence of a signal of the final closed position (the sash is not completely closed) and after that it takes at least 2 seconds until the next closing signal is given. In this case, the opening signal can be supplied externally or as a result of the operation of the protection;

- if the unit is supplied with power, after which it is immediately established that there is no signal of the final closed position (turning on the power with the sash open), and after that it takes at least 2 seconds until the next closing signal is given.

2) Rules for determining tolerances at closing time τ _add

At the 1st opening-closing cycle (after power-up)

τ _1dop = 7 ± 0.1 s (constant);

At the 2nd opening-closing cycle

if τ ₁ <0.5 s, then τ _2dop = τ _1dop = 7 ± 0.1 s (interference pass),

if τ ₁ + t _zap <2 s, then τ _2dop = (2 + t _zap ) s (skipping a random jerk),

if τ ₁ + t _zap ≥2 s, then τ _2dop = (τ ₁ + t _zap ) s, but not more than 7 s

where τ ₁ is the real time of full closing on the first cycle,

t _zap - margin, adjustable within (0.4-0.8) ± 0.1 seconds using the tuning resistor of the block.

With the nth closing cycle (in the general case, with n≥3)

if τ _n-1 <0.5 s, then τ _{n extra} = τ _{n-1 extra} (interference pass),

if τ _n-1 + t _zap <τ _n-2 , then τ _{n add} = (τ _n-2 + t _zap ) s, but not more than 7 s (skipping a random jerk)

if τ _n-1 + t _zap ≥τ _n-2 , then τ _{n dop} = (τ _n-1 + t _zap ) s, but not more than 7 s,

where τ _n-1 is the real time of full closing on the previous (n-1) th cycle;

τ _n-2 is the real time of full closing on the "before-previous" (n-2) -th cycle;

τ _{n-1 extra} - real (finally selected, if necessary, taking into account the omission of a random jerk and taking into account the 4 s limit) tolerance for the previous (n-1) -th cycle;

τ _{n add} - tolerance calculated for the n-th cycle;

t _zap ^- margin, adjustable within (0.4-0.8) ± 0.1 seconds using the tuning resistor of the block.

Note: the formula for the nth cycle is valid for n≥2, if we take τ ₀ = 2 ± 0.1 s.

In the presence of a sensor of the final open position, using rules similar to the above for protection against being clamped by a closing door, it is possible to organize protection against being clamped by an opening door.

In all modern pneumatic drives of vehicle doors, control is carried out by means of short-term signaling to open and close. These signals pass to the electromagnets of the pneumatic distributor and, in parallel, to the inputs of the electronic control unit for protection against clamping. At the same time, the driver is able to give continuous control signals. Therefore, in order to make it possible to correct the error when writing to the memory the time of full closing (if such an error still occurs, despite the measures taken in the recording rules, for example, when repeatedly closing from a deliberately not fully open position), the following principle is embedded in the algorithm.

For the general case, when there are sensors for closed and open positions and protection against clamping by both a closing and opening door is provided:

if there is a continuous signal for closing or opening, the clamp protection should not be triggered (the mode of knowingly forcibly closing or opening the door by the driver). At the same time, the microcontroller of the electronic unit remembers the time elapsed from the beginning (front) of the control signal to the end position signal, that is, the driver can manually adjust this time by closing the door with a continuous signal from a known fully open position or opening it from a known completely closed position.

The drawing shows the described pneumatic actuator (pneumatic actuator single-leaf door with an electronic device for protecting against clamping the closing door).

The pneumatic actuator contains a pneumatic distributor 1, a working pneumatic cylinder 2, a rod of a working pneumatic cylinder 3, an electronic unit 4, a sensor of the final closed position 5 and an electric control part 6 of the pneumatic distributor (pneumatic distributor electromagnets).

The pneumatic drive of the doors of a vehicle with an electronic device for protecting the passenger from being clamped by a closing door works as follows. When opening and closing the door leaves of the vehicle, the rod 3 of the working pneumatic cylinder 2 moves to the extreme positions corresponding to the door position closed when the stem is retracted and the door is open when the rod is extended.

The electronic unit 4 receives the electrical control signals for the opening of the ESMS 1 and the closing of the ESMS, which are supplied by the driver in the form of direct current pulses (in parallel to the windings of the electromagnets of the air distributor 6 and to the inputs of the electronic unit 4), as well as the closed position signal from the sensor of the final closed position 5 (in parallel to the input of the electronic unit and to the external signal circuit of the ESVCS). The electronic unit processes the information about the incoming signals and the time intervals between them according to the above rules and generates a tolerance for the time interval for the complete closing of the sash.

If at the next open-close cycle there is an obstacle to the movement of the sash when closing, then the closing time (the interval between the closing signal and the signal from the microswitch 5) exceeds the tolerance of this cycle stored in the memory of the electronic unit, while the electronic unit gives the ESUO 2 power signal by winding of the “opening” magnet of the pneumatic distributor - the sash opens.

At the same time, the time elapsed from the moment the shutter stops during movement to the moment the protection is triggered depends on the position of the shutter at the moment of stopping, however, given that the passenger actually clamps at the very end of the stroke with the door almost closed, this time will be minimal and practically equal to the value of t _app .

When the door is closed normally, the signal from the sensor of the final closed position 5 passes to the electronic unit in the form of a disconnection of the power signal of the supply voltage, therefore, in addition to blocking the protection function in accordance with the algorithm embedded in the microprocessor, the output key of the electronic circuit is also de-energized, which completely eliminates the possibility of spontaneous opening the door while driving.

The necessary effect of increasing the reliability of the system is achieved by eliminating parts and assemblies — slotted magnetically sensitive motion sensors and movable steel rails with holes, as well as special fasteners.

In addition, this device can be used not only in linear-type pneumatic actuators, but also in rotary-type pneumatic actuators, where the pneumatic cylinder rod is connected to the door through several complicated transmission links.

In this system, control over the moment of clamping of an object is assigned only to the electronic unit and to the standard automobile microswitch, which acts as a sensor of the final closed position

The present invention is a fully electronic device without springs, tension mechanisms, bearings, mechanical gears, rollers and their blocks, etc., as well as without sliding and rubbing parts. All information comes from the standard opening and closing buttons from the driver's cab and from the microswitches of the end positions (in the general case, both closed and open positions), while the microswitch of the final closed position simultaneously serves as an alarm. If you do not use the function of protection when opening (which is not required by safety rules), then strict fixation of the open position is optional, and only the electronic unit is an additional device to provide protection against clamping when closing. Therefore, it is guaranteed to judge the more reliable operation of this device and the simplicity of information processing.

If in addition to the closed position sensor (microswitch) in the clamp protection system, an open position sensor (microswitch) is additionally used, then according to the rules similar to those described for the closing process, it is possible to arrange protection of the passenger from the clamp by the opening door, which is relevant for some vehicle door designs, although not required by safety rules.

The drawing shows:

ESVCC - an electric signal to an external signaling circuit;

ESUO 1 - electric signal for opening control (supplied by the driver in the form of pulses);

ESUO 2 - electric signal for opening control (for protection against clamping) - is generated by the electronic unit;

ESUZ - electrical signal for closing control (supplied by the driver in the form of pulses).

Information sources

1. CA 2218946.

2. RU 2313457 C2.

Claims (1)

Pneumatic drive of motor vehicle doors, comprising a pneumatic cylinder controlled by a pneumatic distributor, microswitches or end position sensors that lock the end positions of the door, a clamp protection system with an electronic unit, characterized in that the electronic block of the clamp protection system is configured to:
the function of protection against clamping according to the principle of a timer with self-adjustment of the time the door leaf moves between the extreme positions and taking into account the possible change of these time intervals during operation by measuring and storing in memory the time intervals from signaling the closing-opening to reaching the final position, determined by the signal from the microswitch on each cycle of operation, and the development of tolerance for the maximum travel time on the next cycle, taking into account the similar GOVERNMENTAL at previous cycles, above which there is an automatic switch actuator in the opposite direction;
double locking the automatic opening-closing function by de-energizing the output power key of the electronic unit in the final position of the door;
use in the system of protection against clamping of a motion sensor with a rail with automatic transition to the principle of a timer with self-tuning when the rail is excluded, but in the presence of end position sensors independent of the rail.

Images