Dual sensor electromagnetic door lock system

• US 4,893,852 A
• Filed: 01/17/1989
• Issued: 01/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harrow Products LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Harrow Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Gladych, Richard W., Harris, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Gary L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US07/297,700
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 292/251.5, 49/25 X, 49/26, 367/93 X, 367/138, 367/95, 367/61, 367/150, 340/567, 250/342 X
• US Class Current: 292/251.5
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/108 Electronically controlled emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/166 electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0908 Emergency operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic

Abstract

An electromagnetic lock which mounts at the top of a door frame and magnetically bonds with an armature employs both an ultrasonic sensor and a passive infrared sensor to detect the approach of an individual at the doorway. Both the ultrasonic sensor and the passive infrared detector have fan-shaped sensing regions which are positioned forwardly from the doorway. Upon detection of an individual approaching the doorway, the lock is capable of automatically releasing to allow egress through the doorway.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic lock system adaptable for providing controlled access through a doorway having a frame mounting a door with an armature comprising:

housing means mountable to the door frame;

electromagnetic lock means mounted to said housing means and selectively electrically energizeable for magnetically bonding with the armature to provide a locked state;

ultrasonic sensor means mounted in said housing means for generating an ultrasonic detection beam traversing a path remote from said housing and for receiving reflected echoes from said beam;

passive infrared sensor means mounted in said housing means for sensing radiant energy temperature changes from a detection zone remote from said housing means;

processing means mounted in said housing means for processing said received reflected echoes to detect the presence of a foreign object in said beam and for processing said sensed radiant energy to detect the movement of a foreign object into the detection zone; and

lock release means responsive to said processing means for automatically transforming said electromagnetic lock means to a non-locked state for a pre-established time interval upon detection of a foreign object in said beam and movement of the object into said detection zone.

2. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 wherein said housing means further comprises a pivotally positionable plate defining an aperture, said ultrasonic sensor means being positioned so that the shape of said beam is at least partly a function of the shape of said aperture.

3. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic sensor means comprises an acoustic transducer having a rounded transmission surface and said aperture has a rectangular shape.

4. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 wherein said beam traverses a generally fan-shaped path.

5. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 4 wherein the door has hardware for latching the door in the closed position and further comprising directional means for directionally orienting said beam so that the beam path extends at an angle to the plane of the door and the beams do not intersect said hardware when the housing means is mounted to the door frame generally above the hardware.

6. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 wherein said detection zone is a thin generally symmetrical fan-shaped region having a pre-established fixed directional relationship with said housing means.

7. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic sensor means comprises a transducer and said passive infrared sensor means comprises a pyroelectric element, said transducer and element being transversely spaced and positioned generally equidistantly from opposing ends of said housing means.

8. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 further comprising remote control unlock command means for selectively controlling the status of said electromagnetic lock means, said lock release means being responsive to said unlock command means for automatically transforming said electromagnetic lock means to a non-locked state.

9. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 further comprising latch relock means for automatically transforming said electromagnetic lock means to an energized locked state after a pre-established time interval.

10. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 further comprising remote control relock command means for selectively controlling the status of said electromagnetic lock means, said electromagnetic lock means being responsive to said relock command means to automatically transform said electromagnetic lock means to an energized locked state.

11. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 1 further comprising detector means responsive to said processing means for automatically detecting a request to exit the doorway and for transmitting a signal indicative of the request for reception remote from the housing means.

13. The electromagnetic lock system of claim 11 wherein said doorway means defines a traffic path leading to the door, and said beam and said detection zone are generally fan-shaped and are generally interposed across the traffic path and forwardly spaced from the door.

12. An electromagnetic lock system comprising:

doorway means comprising a frame mounting a door, said door having projecting door latch actuating means and an armature;

housing means mounted to the door frame generally above said door latch actuating means;

electromagnetic lock means mounted to said housing and selectively electrically energizeable for magnetically bonding with the armature to lock the door;

ultrasonic sensor means mounted in said housing means including positioning means for generating an ultrasonic detection beam traversing a path remote from said housing and generally downwardly therefrom at an angle to the plane of the door so as not to intersect said latch actuating means and for receiving reflected energy from said detection beam;

passive infrared means mounted in said housing means for sensing radiant energy temperature changes from a detection zone remote from said housing means and generally downwardly therefrom;

electronic processing means mounted in said housing means for processing received reflected energy to detect the presence of a foreign object in said beam and for processing sensed radiant energy to detect the movement of the foreign object into the detection zone; and

lock release means responsive to said processing means to automatically transform said electromagnetic lock means to an unlock state for a pre-established time interval when an individual approaches the door and intersects the detection beam and the detection zone.