Method for the closed-loop control of an automatic door which is propelled by a drive motor

• US 5,770,934 A
• Filed: 12/29/1995
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dorma GmbH + Company KG (dormakaba Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Dorma GmbH + Company KG (dormakaba Holding AG)
• Inventors: Theile, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David S.
• Application Number:
  US08/582,848
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 361/31, 361/87, 361/78, 318/445-478, 318/280-300, 160/1, 160/7, 49/139, 49/348-349, 49/28
• US Class Current: 318/469
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/05 with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements for logic circuits H03K19/003
• 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 process for the closed-loop control and thus for the limitation of the maximum allowable force on the primary and secondary closing edges of an automatic door. This object is achieved by conducting a verification of the drive system before each movement of the door panel. During this verification, the actual value of the motor current during the startup phase is verified by means of a stored motor torque characteristic.

Claims

1. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door, the automatic door including at least one movable door panel and a drive system for moving the at least one movable door panel to permit access through the automatic door, wherein the drive system includes a drive motor, the automatic door includes a control apparatus for controlling the current supplied to the drive motor, and the control apparatus includes a current limiting apparatus for limiting the current supplied to the drive motor during a normal operation of the automatic door to a normal operating motor current limit, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing memory means for storing data;

b) storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system corresponding to the beginning of at least one movement from rest of the at least one movable door panel;

c) determining at least one operational characteristic of the drive system, to provide a determined operational characteristic of the drive system, at the beginning of each movement from rest of the at least one movable door panel;

d) comparing said determined operational characteristic of the drive system as determined in step c) to said at least one characteristic of the drive system corresponding to the beginning of at least one movement from rest of the at least one movable door panel stored in said memory means;

e) if said determined operational characteristic as determined in step c) is outside of at least one given range of said at least one characteristic of the drive system corresponding to the beginning of at least one movement from rest of the at least one movable door panel stored in said memory means in step b), then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from moving the at least one movable door panel;

said step of storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system comprising the step of setting a desired value of the motor current to a level that is greater than said normal operating motor current limit;

operating the drive motor;

said step of determining at least one operational characteristic of the drive system comprising the step of determining the drive motor current during a first time period t₁ ; and

said step of at least temporarily preventing the drive system from moving the at least one movable door panel comprising the steps of;

verifying that the drive motor current exceeds said normal operating motor current limit during said first time period t₁ ;

setting a desired value of the motor current to a level that is less than said normal operating motor current limit;

determining the drive motor current during a second time period t₂ ; and

if the determined drive motor current does not;

(1) have a value that substantially exceeds said normal operating motor current limit during said first time period t₁ ; and

(2) have a value that is substantially less than or substantially equal to said normal operating current motor limit during said second time period t₂, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from moving the at least one movable door panel.

2. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 1, said method comprising the additional steps of:

if the determined drive motor current has a value that substantially exceeds said normal operating motor current limit after the expiration of said first time period t₁, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from moving the at least one movable door panel; and

if the determined drive motor current has a value that is substantially less than or substantially equal to said normal operating current after the expiration of said second time period t₂, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from moving the at least one movable door panel.

3. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 2, said method comprising the additional steps of:

operating the automatic door during a learning cycle;

during said learning cycle, determining at least one of;

a drive system current characteristic of the automatic door;

a drive system voltage characteristic of the automatic door; and

a drive system speed characteristic of the automatic door;

and

storing said at least one of said determined drive system current characteristic, said drive system voltage characteristic and said drive system speed characteristic in said memory means.

4. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 3, wherein the automatic door additionally includes a microprocessor for controlling the drive motor, and wherein said step of storing in said memory means said at least one characteristic of the drive system comprises the step of storing in said memory means data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor.

5. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 4, wherein said step of storing in said memory means data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor comprises the step of storing said data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor in a non-volatile memory element.

6. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 5, wherein said step of storing in said non-volatile memory element data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor comprises the step of storing said data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor in an electrically erasable programmable read only memory element.

7. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 6, said method comprising the further step of controlling the operation of the drive motor by pulse width modulation.

8. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 7, said method further comprising the additional steps of;

during the operation of the automatic door during said learning cycle, determining and storing in said memory means each of said drive system current characteristic, said drive system voltage characteristic and said drive system speed characteristic.

9. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 8, said method comprising the additional steps of:

activating a sequence of movement of the at least one movable door panel by at least one of;

a continuous signal, and at least one sensor signal;

providing a programmable electronic control unit, said programmable electronic control unit comprising said microprocessor, said microprocessor comprising said control apparatus for controlling the current supplied to the drive motor, said microprocessor additionally comprising said current limiting apparatus; and

determining the forces on at least one portion of the at least one movable door panel.

10. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door, the automatic door including at least one displaceable door panel and a drive system for displacing the door panel to permit access through the automatic door, said apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data;

means for storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system;

means for determining, prior to each displacement of the at least one displaceable door panel, at least one operational characteristic of the drive system;

means for comparing said determined operational characteristic of the drive system to said at least one characteristic of the drive system stored in said memory means;

means for at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel if said determined operational characteristic is outside of at least one given range of said at least one characteristic of the drive system stored in said memory means;

said means for storing comprising means for setting a desired value of the motor current to a level that is greater than a normal operating motor current limit;

means for operating a drive motor;

said means for determining comprising means for determining the drive motor current during a first time period t₁ ;

said means for comparing comprising means for verifying that the drive motor current exceeds said normal operating motor current limit during said first time period t₁ ;

said means for storing comprising means for setting a desired value of the motor current to a level that is less than said normal operating motor current limit;

said means for determining comprising means for determining the drive motor current during a second time period t₂ ; and

said means for at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel comprising means for checking if the determined drive motor current does not;

(1) have a value that substantially exceeds said normal operating motor current limit during said first time period t₁ ; and

(2) have a value that is substantially less than or substantially equal to said normal operating current motor limit during said second time period t₂, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel.

11. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 10, said apparatus additionally comprising:

means for, if the determined drive motor current has a value that substantially exceeds said normal operating motor current limit after the expiration of said first time period t₁, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel; and

means for, if the determined drive motor current has a value that is substantially less than or substantially equal to said normal operating current after the expiration of said second time period t₂, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel.

12. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 11, said apparatus additionally comprising:

means for operating the automatic door during a learning cycle;

means for, during said learning cycle, determining at least one of;

a drive system current characteristic of the automatic door;

a drive system voltage characteristic of the automatic door; and

a drive system speed characteristic of the automatic door;

and

means for storing said at least one of said determined drive system current characteristic, said drive system voltage characteristic and said drive system speed characteristic in said memory means.

13. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 12, wherein the automatic door additionally includes a microprocessor for controlling the drive motor, and wherein said means for storing in said memory means said at least one characteristic of the drive system comprises means for storing in said memory means data representative of a motor torque curve of the drive motor.

14. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 13, wherein said memory means comprises at least one of:

a non-volatile memory element and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory element.

15. An apparatus for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 14, said apparatus additionally comprising means for controlling the operation of the drive motor by pulse width modulation.

16. A method for testing the operation of an automatic door, the automatic door including at least one displaceable door panel and a drive system for displacing the door panel to permit access through the automatic door, said method comprising the steps of:

providing memory means for storing data;

storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system;

prior to each displacement of the at least one displaceable door panel, determining at least one operational characteristic of the drive system;

comparing said determined operational characteristic of the drive system to said at least one characteristic of the drive system stored in said memory means;

if said determined operational characteristic is outside of at least one given range of said at least one characteristic of the drive system stored in said memory means, then at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel;

said step of storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system comprising the step of setting a desired value of said at least one characteristic to a level that is greater than a normal operating state of said at least one characteristic of the drive system;

operating the drive motor;

said step of determining at least one operational characteristic of the drive system comprising the step of determining said at least one characteristic during a first time period t₁ ; and

said step of at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel comprising the steps of;

verifying that said at least one characteristic exceeds said normal operating state of said at least one characteristic of said drive system during said first time period t₁ ;

setting a desired value of said at least one characteristic to a level that is less than said normal operating state of said at least one characteristic of the drive system;

determining said at least one characteristic during a second time period t₂ ; and

at least temporarily preventing the drive system from displacing the at least one displaceable door panel if the determined operational characteristic does not;

(1) have a value that substantially exceeds said normal operating state of said at least one characteristic of the drive system during said first time period t₁ ; and

(2) have a value that is one of substantially less than and substantially equal to said normal operating state of said at least one characteristic of the drive system during said second time period t₂.

17. The method for testing the operation of an automatic door according to claim 16, said method further comprising:

said step of storing in said memory means at least one characteristic of the drive system further comprising one of a) and b);

a) programming said at least one characteristic of the drive system into said memory means; and

b) measuring said at least one characteristic of the drive system during a learning cycle and storing said at least one characteristic in said memory means; and

regulating a drive motor of the drive system by pulse width modulation.