Monitoring the motion of a drive-operable, one or multiple part door body

• US 5,950,364 A
• Filed: 10/28/1996
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marantec Antriebs- Und Steuerungstechnik GmbH & Co. Produktions KG
• Original Assignee: Marantec Antriebs-Und Steuerungstechnik GmbH & Company Productions KG
• Inventors: Hormann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COHEN, CURTIS A
• Application Number:
  US08/741,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 49/26, 49/27, 49/28, 49/31, 49/506, 49/197, 160/1
• US Class Current: 49/26
• 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: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

A method for monitoring motion of a drive-operable door body between open d closed positions. To monitor movement as sensitively as possible, an actually occurring course of movement is compared with a previously fixed nominal course. A signal for interrupting movement is generated when the nominal course and the actual course, and/or one of the derivations of these, differ from one another by a previously fixed amount.

Claims

1. Method for monitoring movement of a drive-operatable door or part thereof along a movement path between open and closed positions and for interrupting the movement in event of obstacle in the path of movement, comprising the steps of

recording and storing a predetermined value of a position of a nominal course of movement at least once before setting the door thereof into motion,

currently recording a value of the position of an actual course of movement of the door or part thereof,

generating an interruption signal for interrupting the movement of the door or part thereof when the currently recorded value of the position differs by a predetermined amount from the corresponding pre-determined value of a nominal course of movement of the door and part thereof,

determining an actually occurring change of course of movement based upon at least one of an actually-occurring movement path and time by forming a derivation of at least one of the movement path and time for every recorded value of the actual course of movement by forming the derivation of the actually-occurring change of course as a first mathematical derivation of the movement path and time,

generating an interruption signal for interrupting motion of the door or part thereof if the currently determined value of the actually occurring change of course differs by a previously-determined extent from a corresponding value for a nominal change of course, and

determining and storing the nominal change of course at least once before setting the door or part thereof into motion based upon the nominal course.

2. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of determining difference of the actual change of course from the nominal change of course as a constant over the movement path or time.

3. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of determining difference of the actual change of course from the nominal change of course depending upon wind factors.

4. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of deriving at least one of the actual course and actual change of course from physical operating values previously queried to record at least one of the nominal course and nominal change of course.

5. Method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of recording and storing the nominal course for obstacle-free normal operation after installation of the door or part thereof on site, and

determining and storing the nominal change of course from the nominal course.

6. Method according to claim 1, comprising the additional steps of

recording and storing the nominal course anew after certain operating intervals of the door or part thereof, and

determining and storing a new nominal change of course from the new nominal course.

7. Method according to claim 1, comprising the additional step of determining at least one of the actual course and nominal course from at least one of the following steps (i)-(v):

(i) measuring driving force depending on at least one of the movement path and time;

(ii) measuring driving torque depending on at least one of the movement path and time;

(iii) measuring torsion angle between two torsion elements connected elastically to one another and position behind one another as part of a path of driving force;

(iv) measuring an electrical drive circuit of an electrical drive unit for the door/part thereof depending upon at least one of the movement path and time; and

(v) measuring rate of motion of the door/part thereof depending upon time.

8. Method according to claim 1, comprising the step of determining the movement path with a pulse generator in conjunction with one or more limit switches.

9. Apparatus for performing the method of claim 1, comprising

a measuring element (8) for measuring the movement path,

a measuring element (12) for measuring a physical operating value of the door or part thereof (3) in motion,

a memory for storing at least one of the nominal course of movement and actual course of movement determined by the measuring elements (8, 12), and

a control unit (10) for evaluating the nominal course, actual course and generating the interruption signal,

wherein the control unit (10) possesses a derivative element for generating at least one of a nominal and actual change from the nominal course, each depending upon at least one of the movement path and time,

the memory is arranged to store at least one of the nominal and actual change of course, and

the control unit (10) is arranged to evaluate the nominal and actual change of course.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein

the control unit (10) comprises a microcontroller,

the measuring element (8) comprises a pulse generator,

comprising a door drive (7) coupled to the control unit (10) and door or part (3) thereof and which is an electrical motor (9);

and

the measuring element (12) is arranged to measure current supplied to the electrical motor (9) with constantly applied voltage.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, additionally comprising A/D converters arranged for transforming signals from the measuring elements (8,12) into digital signals.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit (10) is structured and arranged for generating the interruption signal to switch off a door drive (7) or result in reversal of drive direction of the door drive (7) which is coupled to the control unit (10) and door or part thereof (3).

13. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the door/part thereof (3) is structured to be hinged to two vertical braces (1) of a door jamb and be guided in two top end rails (2) connected to the vertical braces (1), and

a door drive (4) coupled to the door or part thereof (3) and control unit (10) comprises a drag-chain drive having a drag-chain (5) to which the door or part thereof (3) is hinged,

a turn pulley (6) mounted upon at least one of the top end rails (2),

a drive pulley coupled to the drag-chain (5),

an electrical motor (9) arranged to drive the drive pulley,

an impulse generator (8) arranged to be driven by the electrical motor (9) and

an elastic coupling upon which the impulse generator (8) is mounted and which emits a pulse after certain angles of rotation.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit (10) comprises a microcontroller with an integrated memory and A/D converters,

an amplifier (11) arranged to receive an output signal from the control unit (10), and

the physical measuring element is a current measuring element (12) arranged to supply required power to the electrical motor (9) from the amplifier (11), and

switch elements (13, 14) are arranged to be actuated by the door or part thereof (3) in vertical and horizontal end positions and transmit signals (13a, 14a) serving as start/stop signals to ensure reliable upward integration of a signal (8a) transmitted to the control unit (10) by the pulse generator (8) and a signal (12a) transmitted to the control unit (10) from the current measuring element (12).

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pulse generator (8) comprises a coupling provided between the driving pulley of the drag chain (5) and an outlet of the drive motor (9) and having

a driven coupling half (20) structured and arranged as a rotating elastic element with a radial intermediate layer between teeth and hub, and

an output coupling half (22) structured and arranged to possess, on a radial circumference thereof, teeth (23), and

an inductive generator (24) arranged to sense the teeth (23) and emit corresponding pulses due to periodic change in inductance when the coupling turns.

16. Method for monitoring movement of a drive-operatable door or part thereof along a movement path between open and closed positions and for interrupting the movement in the event of an obstacle in the path of movement, comprising the steps of

recording and storing a pre-determined value of a position of a nominal course of movement at least once before setting the door or part thereof into motion,

currently recording a value of the position of an actual course of movement of the door or part thereof,

generating an interruption signal for interrupting the movement of the door or part thereof when the currently recorded value of the position differs by a predetermined amount from the corresponding pre-determined value of a nominal course of movement of the door or part thereof,

determining an actually occurring change of course of the movement based upon at least one of and actually-occurring movement path and time by forming a derivation of at least one of the movement path and time for every recorded value of the actual course of movement,

generating an interruption signal for interrupting the movement of the door or part thereof if the currently determined value of the actually occurring change of course differs by a previously-determined extent from a corresponding value for a nominal change of course,

determining and storing the nominal change of course at least once before setting the door/part thereof into motion based upon the nominal course,

during opening or closing of the door part, recording an actual course of motor current according to the nominal course depending upon movement path,

for each actual value recorded, performing a calculation for recording of a next actual value within one scan period, this calculation checking whether any unpermitted difference from the nominal course exists and whether an interruption signal must be generated,

comparing first, each actual value recorded to a corresponding nominal value for identical values of movement path, and if the actual value differs from the nominal value by a previously determined amount, then generating an interruption signal by micro controller which results in a reversal of drive direction of the door part,

if the actual course is within a permitted range, then, in a subsequent step for the currently recorded value, forming a derivation depending upon movement path by at least one of the following steps (i)-(v);

(i) forming a difference between the currently recorded actual value and the previously recorded actual value;

(ii) if the actual values are loaded with noise, then smoothing the previous values by interpolating a certain number of previously recorded actual values with a given function before a derivation is then formed from this interpolated function;

(iii) determining the current derivation and including the same in an actual change of course which is compared with a nominal change of course;

(iv) determining and storing the nominal change of course prior to introducing the door or part thereof into operation based upon the already recorded nominal course; and

(v) if the actual change of course value differs from the nominal change of course value by a previously determined amount, then generating an interruption signal which, in turn, results in a reversal of the drive direction of the door or part thereof.