Door controller for mass transit vehicles

• US 5,134,350 A
• Filed: 04/19/1991
• Issued: 07/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John C. Mahoney
• Original Assignee: John C. Mahoney
• Inventors: Mahoney, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/687,746
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 318/264, 318/265, 318/266, 318/286, 318/466, 318/467, 318/468, 105/341, 105/343, 105/348, 105/463.1, 180/14.1, 180/271, 180/274, 180/279, 180/281, 180/286, 180/289, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 318/466
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/655 specially adapted for vehicle wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/354 End positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/51 of position, of back drive
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/51 for railway cars or mass transit vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

A door opening system particularly suited for doors on mass transit vehicles. Through position sensing, electronic circuitry, mechanical linkage, brushless motor and pwm amplifier; opens and closes one or more doors, inhibits vehicle from running when door is open, allows vehicle to run when door is closed and not pushed back, stops moving vehicle when door opens beyond the push back position. This system does not depend on the mechanical linkage that opens and closes the door to sense the position of the door.

Claims

1. A door controller for transient vehicles having one or more doors and having a primary control system for controlling movement of the vehicle, mechanical linkage shiftably interconnecting each door to the vehicle for shifting movement between open and closed positions,

an electric motor connected to the linkage for actuating the same,

electronic logic control circuitry connected to a power supply and connected in controlling relationship with the vehicle door opening and closing sequence in response to the primary control system,

sensing means mounted on the vehicle remote from and independent of the door shifting linkage including a pair of hall effect sensor cells adjacent the door and a pair of magnets on the door, each magnet having one pole facing a hall effect sensor cell, the sensor cell-facing pole of one magnet being opposite that of an adjacent magnet, said hall effect sensor cells being responsive to flux reversals for sensing the position of the door, said hall affect sensor cells generating a door closed signal when the vehicle door is in the fully closed position to enable the primary control system through the logic control circuitry to permit movement of the vehicle, said hall effect sensor cells generating a door open signal when the door is opened to inhibit the primary control system and prevent movement of the vehicle, one of said hall effect sensor cells operatively cooperating with one of said magnets to permit movement of the door to a partially opened push back position without flux reversal occurring and without inhibiting the primary control system of the vehicle when vehicle is in motion.

2. The door controller as defined in claim 1 wherein said electric motor comprises a brushless electric motor.

3. The door controller as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality optical indicator devices in said logic control circuitry, said optical indicator devices each being electrically connected to one of said hall effect sensor cells, each optical indicator device being energized when its associated hall effect sensor cell or magnets is mispositioned, said optical indicator devices being effective in indicating mispositioning of hall effect sensor cells and magnets during installation of said controller device.

4. The door controller as defined in claim 1 wherein the states of individual door position sensed by said hall effect sensor cells mounted adjacent each door is indicated by lights.

5. The door controller as defined in claim 1 wherein said magnets on a door are of elongate configuration, one of said magnets having a sensor cell-facing pole of a length to permit the door to be moved from the fully closed position to the partially opened push back position without the occurrence of flux reversal.

6. The door controller as defined in claim 1 further includes a plurality of hall effect sensor cells mounted adjacent said door linkage and a plurality of magnets mounted on said linkage, said hall effect sensor cells mounted adjacent said linkage cooperating with said magnets on said door linkage to sense and control the movement of the door.