Gate operator with speed and torque control

• US 20040177558A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Hom, Wayne C., Parsadayan, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,176,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/340
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/763 using acoustical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/456 for programming, e.g. learning or AI [artificial intelligence]
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/40 for gates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00

Abstract

A method and system for controlling the speed of security gate depending on its length is disclosed. It includes a system for determining the length of a gate that the system is working with and which automatically sets the speed of movement of the gate based on length. The system works automatically so that human intervention is not necessary to set the optimal speed once installed.

Claims

1. A barrier movement control apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a) an ultrasonic measurement device positioned to measure a length of a barrier;

b) an analysis unit to determine various characteristics of the barrier in communicative connection with said ultrasonic measurement device which generates a state signal based on information obtained from said ultrasonic measurement unit; and

c) a barrier control unit responsive to a state signal from said analysis unit which controls the barrier operational characteristics based on said state signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic measurement device is selected from a group of:

a master and slave unit positioned for measurement of the length of the barrier;

a transceiver reflector unit positioned for measurement of the length of the barrier;

or a transmitter unit, reflector unit and sensor unit positioned for measurement of the length of the barrier.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including a device for determining a mass of the barrier, which said analysis unit includes in said state signal sent to said gate controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said operational characteristics include a speed of operation of the barrier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said operational characteristics include movement aspects of the barrier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier is selected from a group of;

a sliding gate, a swinging gate, a barrier that moves in a vertical direction or a door.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said movement aspect is a speed at which said barrier moves at when opening and closing.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said speed is inversely proportional a length of the barrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic measurement unit comprises an ultrasonic transducer positioned at a first end of the barrier and an unit reflective of ultrasonic wave positioned in reflective communication with said transducer at a second end of the barrier.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic measurement unit comprises an ultrasonic master unit capable of transmitting ultrasonic wave positioned at a first end of the barrier and an ultrasonic slave unit receptive of ultrasonic wave positioned in a receptive position with said master unit at a second end of the barrier and said master unit is a second non ultrasonic communicative link with said slave unit to thereby receive confirmation of receipt of ultrasonic signals by said slave unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic measurement unit comprises an ultrasonic transmitter positioned at a first end of the barrier and an unit reflective of ultrasonic wave positioned in reflective communication with an ultrasonic sensor positioned adjacent said ultrasonic transmitter at said first end of the barrier.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said pre-set range from which the optimal speed of a gate is set which has a length determined to be between the maximum and minimum pre-set gate values is taken from a graph of a function, said function being determined by a one to one relation between the length of the gate and an optimal speed of operation.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the length of the gate comprises the step of using an ultrasound device to determine said length.

4. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said operational characteristics include a speed of operation of the barrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said operational characteristics include movement aspects of the barrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the barrier is selected from a group of;

a sliding gate, a swinging gate, a barrier that moves in a vertical direction or a door.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said speed is inversely proportional to a length and a mass of the barrier.

16. Method for setting an optimal security gate speed, said method comprising the steps of:

A. Determining the length of a security gate;

B. Determining if the measured length of the security gate is less than a minimum length, and if it is, setting an operational speed of said gate, and the pre-set maximum speeds;

C. Determining if the security gate is greater than a pre-set maximum length, and, if it is, setting the pre-determined speed of the gate at a pre-set minimum speed;

D. Determining if the security gate has a length between the pre-set maximum, and if it does, setting the operational speed of the gate at a rate equivalent of a pre-set value picked from a range of values, determined by the actual length of said gate.