WO2006097840A1

WO2006097840A1 - Safety system for doors and gates

Info

Publication number: WO2006097840A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/000624
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giampaolo Nelzi
Original assignee: Giampaolo Nelzi
Priority date: 2005-03-15
Filing date: 2006-03-14
Publication date: 2006-09-21
Also published as: ITVI20050068A1

Abstract

Safety system for doors and gates which permits the detection of an obstacle without coming into contact with the same, comprising at least one presence detector, which is preferably composed of a pair of photoelectric cells of refraction type or composed of a transmitter (TRA2) and a receiver (RIC2) , placed on two arms (BRl, BR2) , pivoted on supports (SOl, S02) fixed on both sides of the gate (POR) . The arms (BRl, BR2) are moveable in the radial direction towards the outside of the gate (POR) , so to avoid their contact with the floor and consequent damaging of the presence detectors.

Description

SAFETY SYSTEM FOR DOORS AND GATES

The present invention refers to a safety system for doors and gates . Known are the doors formed by single or compound panels, which by law must be provided with a safety system such to block its closing movement in case it encounters an obstacle, causing a limited pressure on the obstacle (which may be a human) , limited in terms of both pressure and time. This makes it very difficult to have a sufficiently quick closing door or gate, due to the inertia of the door itself.

In the context of the above mentioned needs, main object of the present invention is indeed to indicate a safety system for doors and gates which is efficient, reliable and adaptable to any functional closing mode, especially speed, of the doors and gates.

Another object of the invention is to indicate a safety system for doors and gates which is efficient, as well as safe and relatively low cost with respect to traditional solutions, by virtue of the resulting advantages .

Such objects are attained by a system of protection for doors and gates, according to claim 1, to which one should refer for the sake of brevity.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from the following description and from the attached drawings, provided merely as an exemplifying and not limiting example and related to a preferred exemplifying embodiment, wherein: - Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a vertically opening gate, on which a first embodiment of the safety system is attached according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic and partial perspective view of the gate of figure 1, on which a variation embodiment of the safety system is attached according to the present invention;

- Figure 3 is a side view of the gate of figure 1, in open position according to the present invention; - Figure 3A is a front view of the gate of figure 1, in open position according to the present invention;

- Figure 4 shows a side view of the gate of figure 1, in near-closing position according to the present invention; - Figures 5 and 5a show further side views of the gate of figure 2, according to the variation embodiment of the safety system for doors and gates according to the present invention;

- Figure 6 shows a schematic view of the section of a vertically opening gate in non-closed position, on which a third embodiment of the safety system is attached according to the present invention; - Figure 6A is a schematic view of the gate section of figure 6, closed on the ground.

With particular reference to figures 1, 3 and 3A, which show a first embodiment of a safety system for the detection without physical contact of an obstacle positioned below the POR gate (vertically closing in the illustrated case) , the system includes a presence detector comprising, for example, a pair of oscillating photoelectric cells, of refraction type or composed of transmitter TRA2 and receiver RIC2, which are placed on two arms BRl and BR2 pivoted on supports SOl, S02 fixed on the two sides of the POR gate. The two arms BRl, BR2 are preferably shaped so that, at the lower side, the transmitter TRA2 and on the other side the receiver RIC2 are found below the bottom rail SP of the gate POR, and at the upper side the arm BRl, BR2 continues with a substantially horizontal portion ORl, 0R2 of appropriate length. The position of the transmitter TRA2 and receiver RIC2 is preferably placed upon on the two jambs STl, ST2 of the opening APE, so to remain outside the space of the aforesaid opening APE. On the two sides of the gate POR, directly or indirectly fixed to the wall PAR, suitable counters RSl, RS2 are fixed which do not interfere with the arms BRl, BR2 during the descent of the gate POR, but are such to constitute counter elements with their horizontal portions ORl, 0R2.

With particular reference to figures 3, 3A and 4, it is known that, for the entire closing path of gate POR, and preferably until a short distance from the end of the closing, the transmitter TRA2 and the receiver RIC2 preferably remain along the axis of the gate POR, below the bottom rail SP, and shortly before touching ground, the horizontal extensions ORl, 0R2 come into contact with the counters RSl, RS2, making the arms BRl, BR2 rotate in radial direction towards the outside of the gate POR so to avoid their contact with the floor and consequent damage. The advantage is evident of this no-contact detection system, which permits blocking the closing of the gate POR at the detection of an obstacle by the detector composed of the transmitter TRA2 and receiver RIC2, without physically touching it and therefore without any possibility of injury when the obstacle is a person.

Moreover, increasing the distance between the photocells TRAl and RICl and the bottom rail SP, a greater distance is created between detection and bottom rail, which translates into a greater possible closing speed of the gate POR. In another exemplifying and preferred embodiment solution, illustrated in the attached figures 2, 5 and 5A, the arms BRl, BR2 may be shaped in a different manner and may lack the horizontal extension ORl, 0R2; the same arms BRl, BR2 may also be radially moved before the closing of the gate POR from a diversely positioned counter, also of another nature, for example of magnetic nature and without physical contact such to force the arms BRl, BR2 to deviate, avoiding the collision with the ground of the presence detector composed of the transmitter TRA2 and receiver RIC2. In a further exemplifying and preferred solution, illustrated in the attached figures 6 and 6A, the arms BRl, BR2, pivoted on the gate on SOl, S02, may be shaped in a different manner and provided with wheels RUl, RU2 at their ends. Or they may have a second arm, indicated with BSl, BS2 in figures 6 and 6A, which is pivoted near their end with preferably limited movement of the articulated joint. Here the wheels RUl, RU2 are attached in a suitable position on this second arm BSl, BS2, wheels which upon contact with the ground cause the second arm BSl, BS2 to not touch the ground, and thus the detection device TRA2, RIC2 does not touch the ground, making the second arm BSl, BS2 move radially against the arm BRl, BR2. Subsequently, at the further lowering of the gate POR, the photocells composed of transmitter TRA2 and receiver RIC2 are radially moved, outside the gate POR, avoiding their collision with the ground.

In all cases, the presence detector may be formed by a transmitter TRA2 and by a receiver RIC2, as illustrated in the attached figures, or they may include a refraction photocell, functioning according to the principle of detection in a position below the panel of the gate POR, preferably along the same axis . All that described may be used for vertically lifting and falling gates, thus as may be analogously installed on gates of horizontal opening and closing. According to the present invention, in the case of a horizontal opening, the arms BRl, BR2 of the presence detector, comprising the transmitter TRA2 and the receiver RIC2, operate by rotating horizontally, one preferably in the upper part and the other preferably in the lower part of the gate POR, and they are forced into the work position outside the panel and closing gasket, due to the action of an elastic return means, such as for example a spring.

The deviation counters RSl, RS2 of the arms BRl, BR2 operate in the same manner already described with reference to figure 1, obviously in orthogonal position with respect to this last.

From the above description, the characteristics are clear of the safety system for doors and gates, object of the present invention, as its advantages are also clear.

It is evident, therefore, that numerous other variations may be made to the safety system in question, without for this departing from the principles of novelty inherent in the inventive activity, thus as it is clear that, in the practical actuation of the invention, the materials, shapes, and sizes of the details illustrated may be of any type according to needs, and the same may be substituted with other technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. Safety system for doors and gates (POR), which permits the detection of an obstacle without physical contact with the same, with presence detection range which may be in the axis of the closing door or gate (POR) or close to these, below the door or gate (POR) , of the type comprising at least one presence detector, characterised in that said presence detector comprises at least one oscillating photocell of refraction type or composed of at least one transmitter device (TRA2) and at least one receiver device (RIC2) , said transmitter (TRA2) and receiver (RIC2) devices being positioned on respective first shaped arms (BRl, BR2) , pivoted on supports (SOl, SO2) fixed on the sides of the door or gate (POR) .

2. Safety system as in claim 1, characterised in that said first arms (BRl, BR2) are shaped so that said transmitter (TRA2) and receiver (RIC2) devices are positioned below the panel of the gate (POR) , preferable on the axis of the door or gate.

3. Safety system as in claim 2, characterised in that each of said first arms (BRl, BR2) continues with at least one elongated extension (ORl, 0R2) of predefined length, or with a side portion adapted for countering with suitable counter elements (RSl, RS2) , or with a second arm (BSl, BS2), articulated on said first arm (BRl, BR2), and at least one wheel (RUl, RU2) which encounters the ground, causing the radial folding of the second arm (BSl, BS2) on the first arm (BRl, BR2) and the radial folding of the first arm (BRl, BR2) upward, blocking the presence detector from being damaged by hitting the ground.

4. Safety system as in claim 1, characterised in that said transmitter (TRA2) and receiver (RIC2) devices are placed upon the jambs (STl, ST2) of the opening (APE) foreseen at the gate (POR) and positioned outside said opening (APE) .

5. Safety system as in claim 3, characterised in that respective counters (RSl, RS2) are fixed on the sides of the gate (POR) , positioned so to not interfere with said arms (BRl, BR2) during the closing of the gate

(POR) and to constitute counter elements with the related elongated extensions (ORl, 0R2), or with the widened arm portions (BRl, BR2) which extend horizontally.

6. Safety system as in claim 5, characterised in that, for the entire closing path of the gate (POR) , said transmitter (TRA2) and receiver (RIC2) devices remain positioned along the axis of the gate (POR) , and shortly before touching the ground, said elongated extensions (ORl, 0R2) come into contact with said counters (RSl, RS2), making the arms (BRl, BR2) rotate in radial direction outside of the gate (POR) , so to avoid the contact with the floor and consequent damage.

7. Safety system as in claim 5, characterised in that said shaped arms (BRl, BR2) are radially moved before the closing of the gate (POR) by at least one counter element, for example of magnetic nature and without physical contact, so to cause the shaped arms (BRl, BR2 ) to deviate and moreover avoiding the ground collision of the presence detector.

8. Safety system as in claim 1, characterised in that it may be used for vertically lifting and falling and horizontal opening and closing.

9. Safety system as in claim 8, characterised in that said shaped arms (BRl, BR2) of the presence detector mounted on a horizontal opening and closing gate (POR) operate by horizontally rotating and are forced into a work position outside the panel and jambs (STl, ST2) of the gate (POR) , due to the action of at least one elastic means.

10. Safety system for doors and gates (POR) as substantially described and illustrated in the attached drawings and for the specified objects.