Optical Pressure Switch, Door Operating System and Method

• US 20100154311A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JEC Optics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JEC Optics, Inc.
• Inventors: Condon, Clare M., Beck, Gregory S., Condon, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,178,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/358
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/022 with opto-electronic switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/24 Switches operated by change of fluid pressure, by fluid pressure waves, or by change of fluid flow wherein the change of pressure is caused by change of temperature H01H37/36

Abstract

A door having a pneumatic sensing edge is operated automatically to open when an object and the edge make contact An optical pressure switch (10) in fluid communication with gas forced from the edge on contact with the object initiates the operation of a door opener The optical pressure switch (10) includes a membrane (16) having a portion that interrupts a light beam (LB) when the membrane (16) flexes due to the increase gas pressure over ambient pressure as gas is forced from the edge

Claims

1. An optical pressure switch comprising

a body including a passageway having an outlet and an inlet into which flows a gas at a pressure above ambient pressure,

an optically activated control device having a light beam projected along an optical path within said body, and

an elastic membrane within the body including a first side in communication with the passageway and a second side having an elongated portion that moves a predetermined distance into the optical path when the membrane flexes,

said first and second sides of the membrane each normally being at ambient pressure so the membrane is in an un-flexed condition prior to the pressurized gas flowing into the passageway through the inlet and, in response to said pressurized gas flowing into the passageway, flexing the membrane to move the elongated portion said predetermined distance, with the membrane returning to the un-flexed condition as the gas escapes through the outlet.

2. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the membrane comprises an elastic diaphragm having a perimeter in a fixed position and a central portion from which the elongated portion extends.

3. The optical pressure switch of claim 2 where the elongated portion comprises a stem element projecting outward from said second side of the membrane substantially at a right angle to said second side prior to said membrane flexing.

4. The optical pressure switch of claim 3 including a guide member within the body between the second side of the membrane and the optical path and aligned with the stem element to guide said stem element as said stem element moves in response to the flexing of the membrane.

5. The optical pressure switch of claim 4 where the guide member comprises a tubular structure in which the stem element is seated.

6. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the body includes at least two chambers with the membrane providing a common wall for the chambers.

7. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the body comprises two components connected together in a manner that enables one component to be moved relative to the other component to adjust said predetermined distance, enabling the pressure switch to be calibrated, said components being fixedly connected together after calibration.

8. The optical pressure switch of claim 7 where a removable adhesive is applied after calibration to maintain the two components fixedly connected together until the adhesive is removed.

9. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the passageway has an inlet end and an outlet end, and includes a flow control member at or near the outlet end, said flow control member impeding gas flow through the passageway.

10. The optical pressure switch of claim 9 where the flow control member comprises a porous plug.

11. The optical pressure switch of claim 9 where the flow control member comprises plate with an aperture therein.

12. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the body includes an opening therein accessing ambient pressure so the sides of the membrane is initially subjected to ambient pressure prior to the pressurized gas flowing into the passageway.

13. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 where the membrane includes a tiny orifice therein to establish ambient pressure on each side of the membrane.

14. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 including a control circuit and a first light-emitting device mounted on the body that indicates when power is applied to the control circuit and a second light-emitting device mounted on the body that indicates when pressurized gas flows into the passageway.

15. The optical pressure switch of claim 1 including at least two chambers, one of which is open to the ambient pressure through a restricted opening that prevents substantial contamination of the optically activated control device that would interfere with the functioning of the light beam.

16. An optical pressure switch comprising

a body including a first chamber and a second chamber,

an elastic membrane providing a common wall between the chambers and flexing when there is a differential in pressure across the membrane,

the first chamber including a port normally in communication with ambient pressure and adapted to be placed in communication with a pressure wave above ambient pressure that momentarily flows through the first chamber,

the second chamber including an optically activated control device having a light beam projected along an optical path within said second chamber, said membrane having a portion that interrupts the light beam so an electronic signal is generated upon flexing of the membrane,

said second chamber being open to ambient pressure through a restricted opening that substantially reduces contamination of the optically activated control device that would interfere with the functioning of the light beam.

17. The optical pressure switch of claim 16 where the second chamber encloses essentially the entire optically activated control device.

18. An optical pressure switch comprising

a body including a passageway having an inlet end and an outlet end and through which a pressurized gas flows between the inlet and outlet ends,

a control circuit including

an optically activated control device where a light beam is projected along an optical path within said body,

a first light-emitting device that indicates when power is applied to the circuit, and

a second light-emitting device that indicates when pressurized gas flows into the passageway, and

a flexible and resilient membrane positioned within the body and including a first side in communication with the passageway and a second side having an elongated portion that moves a predetermined distance into the optical path when the membrane flexes in response to a predetermined pressure of said pressurized gas,

said body having an opening therein accessing ambient pressure so the membrane is initially subjected to ambient pressure on each side of the membrane prior to the pressurized gas flowing into the passageway and a first chamber and a second chamber with the membrane providing a common wall for the chambers, said passageway being in the first chamber and said elongated portion extending into the second chamber,

said body including two components with the membrane being attached to one of said components, said components having been moved relative to each other to adjust said predetermined distance to thereby calibrate the pressure switch, said components being fixedly connected after calibration.

19. An optical pressure switch comprising

a body having a longitudinal reference line and including

a first housing component including a threaded surface,

a second housing component including a threaded surface and a passageway having an inlet end and an outlet end and through which a pressurized gas flows into the inlet end through the passageway and out the outlet end, and

a third housing component including an optically activated control device where a light beam is projected along an optical path within said third housing, said optical path intersecting the longitudinal reference line,

said first housing component being disposed between the second and third housing components,

a flexible and resilient circular disk having a circular perimeter and a center which the longitudinal reference line intersects, said disk positioned between said first and second housing components to form within the first housing component a first chamber and within the second housing component a second chamber with the membrane providing a common wall for the chambers,

said membrane including a first side in communication with the passageway and a second side having an elongated portion extending from said center of the disk along said longitudinal reference line, said elongated portion moving a predetermined distance into the optical path when the membrane flexes in response to a predetermined pressure of said pressurized gas, said second side being substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal reference line prior to the membrane flexing, and said membrane initially being in communication with ambient pressure on each side of the membrane prior to the pressurized gas flowing into the passageway,

said membrane being attached to one of said housing components having a threaded surface, said threaded housing components having been moved relative to each other by engaging the threaded surfaces to adjust said predetermined distance to thereby calibrate the pressure switch, said first and second housing components being fixedly connected after calibration.

20. The optical pressure switch of claim 19 including a control circuit having a first light-emitting device mounted to the body that indicates when power is applied to the circuit and a second light-emitting device mounted to the body that indicates when pressurized gas flows into the passageway.

21. The optical pressure switch of claim 19 where the membrane comprises a substantially flat, planar, circular and elastic member having a perimeter in a fixed position and the elongated portion comprises a centrally located stem extending outward from said second side of the membrane substantially at a right angle to said second side prior to said membrane flexing.

22. The optical pressure switch of claim 21 where the passageway includes a flow control member at or near the outlet end that impedes gas flow through the passageway.

23. The combination of an optical pressure switch and a pneumatic sensing edge in fluid communication with the switch so that a pressure wave produced by compressing the door edge actuates the switch,

said switch comprising

a body and a flexible and resilient membrane positioned within the body and having opposed sides,

said body including a passageway having an inlet end and an outlet end and through which the pressure wave propagates upon compressing the edge,

means for accessing ambient pressure so the membrane is initially subjected to ambient pressure on each side of the membrane prior to the pressure wave propagating along the passageway,

means for providing a stem portion extending from one side of the membrane that moves a predetermined distance into the optical path when the membrane flexes in response to the pressure wave, and

means for calibrating the switch.

24. A door operating system comprising

a door mounted to open and close and having a pneumatic sensing edge holding a gas,

an optical pressure switch in fluid communication with said gas, said gas flowing into the optical pressure switch when the edge makes contact with an object upon closure of the door to force gas from the pneumatic sensing edge,

said optical pressure switch including a light beam that is interrupted when the gas is forced to flow into said switch thereby generating a control signal, and

a door opener mechanism,

said door opener mechanism being responsive to said control signal to open said door upon receiving said control signal.

25. A door operating system of claim 24 where the optical pressure switch comprises

a body including a passageway in communication with the gas flowing from the pneumatic sensing edge,

an optically activated control device in which said light beam is projected along an optical path within said body, and

a membrane within the body including a first side in communication with the passageway and a second side having an elongated portion that moves into the optical path when the membrane flexes in response to a predetermined pressure of said pressurized gas, interrupting said light beam to generate the control signal.

26. A door operating system comprising

a door opener mechanism,

a door mounted to open and close and operably connected to door opener mechanism, said door having a pneumatic sensing edge,

a pressure switch in fluid communication with said sensing edge that is momentarily actuated by a pressure wave when an object contacts the sensing edge, said switch upon actuation signaling the door opener mechanism to open said door,

said pressure switch including a light source that is illuminated for a predetermined period when the pressure wave actuates the switch.

27. A method of diagnosing problems with a door operating system comprising providing a switch that upon actuation signals a door opening mechanism to open a door of the door operating system, said switch including a first light source that is illuminated when a pneumatic sensing edge of the door is manually squeezed.

28. The method of claim 27 where the switch includes an elastic membrane that flexes to interrupt a light beam upon squeezing the pneumatic sensing edge to provide an electronic control signal.

29. The method of claim 28 where the elastic membrane is in communication with ambient pressure and only flexes momentarily upon squeezing the pneumatic sensing edge and the illumination of the first light source terminates upon the pressure across the membrane equalizing.

30. The method of claim 27 where the switch includes a second light source that is illuminated when power is being applied to the switch.