WO1993006327A1

WO1993006327A1 - A device in electrically operated sliding doors and the like

Info

Publication number: WO1993006327A1
Application number: PCT/SE1992/000641
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olof Bondesson; Frank-Uwe Sommer
Original assignee: Cardo Door Ab; Sommer Gmbh
Priority date: 1991-09-20
Filing date: 1992-09-18
Publication date: 1993-04-01
Also published as: SE469038B; SE9102721L; SE9102721D0; AU2658592A

Abstract

The invention concerns a device in electrically operated sliding doors and the like to control the pattern of movement of the door (1). The device comprises an electrically operated driving motor (15) to open and close the door (1), and an electronic control unit (18) connected to the driving motor (15). To said unit is connected a switch (20) in order to emit a signal, should the motor (15) be overloaded during the door closing movement, as also a means (21) for detecting the presence of any obstacles in the path of movement of the closing door (1), and a switch to sense the position of the door (1) as the latter reaches an end phase of its closing movement. As the door (1) reaches this position, the switch (23) is arranged to emit a signal to the electronic control unit (18), which is arranged to measure the time as from this very moment and to interrupt the closing movement, should it not have received a stop signal from the switch (20) and/or the sensing means (21) within a prescribed period of time.

Description

A DEVICΞ IN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SLIDING DOORS AND THE

LIKE.

The subject invention concerns a device in electrically operated sliding doors and the like, designed to control the pattern of movement of the door. More specifically, the invention concerns a device comprising an electric driving motor to move the door from an open position to a closed position and vice versa. The device likewise includes an electronic control unit which is electrically connected to the driving motor, a switch which is connected to the electronic control unit and arranged to emit a signal when the maximum allowable operative load on the motor is exceeded during the door closing movements, a means connected to the electronic control unit to detect the existence of an obstacle in the path of movement of the closing door, and a switch connected to the electronic control unit to sense the position of the door as the latter reaches the end phase of its closing movement.

Electrically operated sliding doors, folding doors, and similar types of doors used to close industrial halls or garages provided with various kinds of safety circuit breakers as indicated above, are already known. These types of doors are provided on the one hand with switches interrupting the supply of current to the driving motor upon generation of too heavy load on the kinetic mechanics, and on the other with means sensing the presence of an obstacle that happens to obstruct the path of movement of the closing door. The purpose of such circuit breakers and sensing means is to guarantee the function of the door mechanism while at the same time minimizing the risks of hazard during doors movements..

The purpose of the subject invention is to increase the safety of the system. This increased safety has been achieved by arranging the switch, designed to sense the position of the door as the latter reaches the end phase of its closing movement, in such a manner that it emits a signal to the electronic control unit as the door reaches this position and by arranging the electronic control unit in such a manner that the latter measures the time as from that very instant and interrupts the door closing movement, should a signal from the switch and the sensing means not have been received by the electronic control unit within the pretermined period. The advantage gained by the invention is that as the electronic control unit no longer senses the presence of an unexpected obstacle, the position of the door will not exceed an above ground level set by the authorities.

If the closing movement is completed within this stipulated time the door is guaranteed to assume the correct closing position wherein optimum sealing is obtained. The electronic control unit will then eliminate static loads that have an adverse effect on the door system.

The invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling mounted sliding door and its associated opening and closing mechanism, Fig. 2 illustrates said door schematically in a lateral view and in an open position,

Fig. 3 illustrates the door in an almost closed position, and

Fig. 4 illustrates the door in the closed position. As a practical example to the describe the invention has been chosen as so called ceiling-mounted sliding door for a garage. In accordance with the embodiment shown the door 1 comprises four hingedly interconnected door panels 2, 3, 4 and, 5. The door panels are displaceable by means of guides mounted in vertical rails 6 and 7 positioned on either side of the door opening, said vertical rails changing at their upper ends into two horizontally extending rails 8 and 9, respectively. The horizontal rails are secured to the ceiling 10 of the garage. A further rail 11 extends in parallel with rails 8 and 9 at mid point between the latter. A chain 12, see Figs. 2 - 4, extends along said rail 11 and is kept in taut condition by means of springs 13 and 14, respectively, one at either end of the chain. An electric driving motor 15 runs along the rail 11 in engagement with the chain 12, said motor having an inner or rear stop position 16. A link arm 17 interconnects the driving motor 15 with the panel 5 of the door 1.

The driving motor 15 is connected to an electronic control unit 18 the function of which will appear from the ensuing description. Two micro switches 19 and 20 are connected to the electronic control unit, said switches being affected by the tensioning movements in the chain 12. Any resistance in the system arising during the opening of the door 1 and imparting to the driving motor 15 a larger-than-normal load will result in tightening of the spring 14, and consequently, the switch 19 will be activated and the electronic control unit 18 will interrupt the supply of current to the motor 15. The same situation arising during the closing movements of the door 1 will result in tightening of the spring 13 and in activation of the micro switch 20 in the corresponding manner, whereby the electronic control unit 18 will stop the motor 15 and reverse its direction of movement and again stop the motor after a lapse of about a second.

The free edge of the leading door panel 2 is provided with an hermetically sealed, hollow rubber strip 21. The strip 21 cooperates with a pressure sensitive switch, not shown, which in turn is connected to the electronic control unit 18. The strip 21 is arranged to detect any obstacles in the path of movement of the door as the latter closes and also to detect when the door 1 has reached its position in contact with the ground or with the garage floor 22. The strip 21 serves as seal against the ground or the floor 22.

To the electronic control unit 18 is also connected a switch 23 which is positioned in such a manner adjacent the rail 11 as to be affected by the driving motor 15 as the latter almost but not entirely has completed the closing movement of the door 1.

Finally, a press-button contact 24 is likewise connected to the electronic control unit 18, which contact could also be a key-operated switch, a code-operated lock or a similar switch. In addition, the electronic control unit 18 could be operated by a remote control device 25.

The movements of the door 1 are initiated by means of a signal/pulse, either by means of the press-button contact 24 or the remote control unit 25. Assuming that the door is in the opened position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and that it is to be closed, the driving motor 15 will move to the right as seen in the drawing figures along the rail 11, the door panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 successively being pivoted downwards towards the ground or the floor 22. Should an obstacle be present in the path of movement of the door during this movement the strip 21 will strike the obstacle. This creates a pressure wave which is propagated to the pressure-sensitive switch, the latter emitting a signal to the electronic control unit 18 which in turn immediately stops the door 1 and again opens the latter for about a second, whereupon it stops the movements of the door 1.

Provided no obstacle is present in the door opening, the driving motor 15 will reach the position illustrated in Fig. 3. In this position, which is the end phase of the closing movement of the door 1, the switch 23 is activated, and emits a signal to the electronic control unit 18. This signal is an impulse to the electronic control unit 18 to measure the duration of the end phase of the closing movement. This period of time which is adapted to the driving speed of the motor 15 preferably should amount to no more than about half a second. Should a longer period of time lapse before completion of the closing movement the electronic control unit 18 will reverse the current, resulting in the driving motor 15 stopping and again opening the door 1 for approximately one second. On the other hand, should the closing movement be completed within this brief period, that is in such a manner that the strip 21 reaches and contacts the ground or the floor 22 and thus emits a signal, and/or the operative load has exceeded the allowable level, at which the switch 20 emits a signal, the electronic control unit 18 will interpret this signal or signals as a verification of correct completion of the closing movement and will thus cut out the current.

Owing to this cooperation between the switch 23, the strip 21 and the pressure-sensitive switch associated therewith, the switch 20 and the electronic control unit 18 a high degree of reliability is obtained as concerns the closing movement of the door 1. At the same time there is a practically complete elimination of any risk that for instance a child or an animal will be injured by being squeezed under the door 1 because the cooperation referred to takes place during the very last stage of the closing movement when the strip 21 is positioned at a distance of only a few centimeters above the ground or the floor 22. The time 0.5 seconds corresponds, in an installation of the kind described above, to a maximum allowable distance above ground of 5 cms.

The electronic control unit 18 is arranged to wait for a stop signal from the switch 20 as well as from the detecting means, i.e. the strip 21, before it interrupts the closing movement. Accordingly, the door 1 will not stop before emittance of the last one of the two signals from the pressure-sensitive switch and the switch 20. This ensures the correct closing position the door 1 against the ground or the floor 22 and the walls on either side of and above the door opening. Owing to this closing procedure each closure of the door automatically serves as a check of the function of each one of the signal- emitting means 20, 21, 23, that is a check of the safety of the system.

When the correct closing position is reached the electronic control unit 18 reverses the door 1 for a brief moment for the purpose of eliminating static load on the mechanical parts of the system and thus reducing the power needed to disconnect the door system from the driving means. A need for a possibility of such disconnection exists for instance in the case of power cutsch.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the drawings but could be varied in many ways within the scope of the appended claims. The electronic means described and the cooperation between the various safety switches could be used also in other types of doors, such as folding doors and the like.

Claims

C A I M S

1. A device in electrically operated sliding doors and the like, designed to control the pattern of movement of the door (1), said device comprising an electric driving motor (15) to move the door (1) from an open position to a closed position and vice versa, an electronic control unit (18) which is electrically connected to the driving motor (15), a switch (20) which is connected to the electronic control unit (18) to emit a signal, should the maximum allowable operative load on the motor (15) be exceeded during the door closing movements, a means (21) connected to the electronic control unit (18) to detect the existence of an obstacle in the path of movement of the closing door ( 1 ) , and a switch (23) connected to the electronical control unit (18) to sense the position of the door (1), as the latter reaches the end phase of its closing movement, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the switch (23) is arranged to emit a signal to the electronic control unit (18), as the door (1) reaches said position, and in that the electronic control unit (18) is arranged to measure the time as from that very instant and to interrupt the door closing movement, should the electronic control unit (18) not have received a stop signal from the switch (20) and the sensing means (21) within a predetermined period of time.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r¬ i z e d in that following completion of correct closure of the door (1) the electronic control unit (18) is arranged to reverse the door ( 1 ) for a brief moment for the purpose of disconnecting the mechanical parts of the systems from static load.