Apparatus for controlling the opening of a door

• US 6,347,486 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unitechniques Limited
• Original Assignee: Unitechniques Limited
• Inventors: Badillet, Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US09/430,873
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 493/94, 495/04, 702/56, 702/57, 702/62, 702/63, 702/64, 702/781
• US Class Current: 49/394
• 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 63/0065 Operating modes; Transformable to different operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/60 Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/65 Central control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]

Abstract

Apparatus for controlling the opening of a door that is held in its closed position in a partition by door-blocking. The apparatus comprises a section bar support of length at least substantially equal to the height of the door, and fixed to the door or to the partition in a position such that it has a first end located at one of the top and bottom ends of the door or of the partition. The support is fitted with power supply and with data transmission comprising at least two conductors which extend substantially to said first end so as to be connected to conductors situated in the vicinity of the end of the door or the partition at which said first end is located. The support is fitted with quick-fixing and with quick-connection for receiving one or more modules, and in particular a detection module for detecting door-opening control information, said module being suitable for connection to data transmission to transmit a control signal for controlling the door-blocking, which control signal is established as a function of the information detected by the detection module. In addition, the apparatus includes cover-forming in the form of a section bar and designed to cover the zones of the support in which no module is present.

Claims

1. A door opening control apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting door-opening control information of a door of a given height in a partition;

means for controlling a blocking means for holding the door in a closed position so as to allow or prevent the door opening as a function of the door-opening control information detected;

a section bar support of a length at least substantially equal to the height of the door, said support being designed to be fixed on an element of a plurality of elements constituted by the door and a partition in a position such that it presents a first end located at one of top and bottom ends of said element;

wherein the support is fitted with power supply means and data transmission means comprising at least two conductors which extend substantially to the first end of said support so as to be put into communication with conductors existing in a vicinity of an end of said element at which said first end is located;

wherein the support is fitted with quick-fixing means and quick-connection means enabling one or more modules to be fixed to the support and enabling them to be connected to said power supply means and data transmission means, said one or more modules comprising a detection module in which the means for detecting door-opening control information are located, the quick-connection means of the detection module being suitable for connecting said detection module to data transmission means for transmitting a control signal established as a function of the door opening control information detected by said detection module to the means for controlling the door-blocking means;

and wherein the apparatus further includes cover-forming means in a form of a section bar, designed to cover those zones of the support in which no module is present.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply means and the data transmission means include data transmission conductors which extend substantially to the first end of the support to be connected to a data transmission network having connection lines that are to be found in a vicinity of an end of the door or of a partition at which said first end of the support is located.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductors of the power supply means and the data transmission means are disposed in mutually insulated rails.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support carries four conductors, two power supply conductors and two data transmission conductors, disposed in mutually insulated rails.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the quick-connection means include means for engaging the rails.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support has determined zones specially designed to receive a module, and wherein said zones are fitted with keying means enabling only a module that is intended for any given zone to be connected thereto.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the support is designed to receive a plurality of modules, wherein the apparatus includes means for organizing dialog between the modules via data transmission conductors.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including, in addition to the detecting module, at least one auxiliary module such as a camera module, an interphone module, or an object detection module.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is in a form of a rail of substantially channel section, whose web is designed to be placed against the element, and wherein the section bar cover-forming means comprise at least one section bar suitable for covering the support by being fixed thereto via the flanges of its channel section.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is designed to be fixed on a door and wherein the support has a contact end fitted with first contact means suitable for co-operating with second contact means fitted to a contact zone located in a vicinity of the contact end of the support, at least when the door is in the closed position.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, including backed-up power supply means designed to power the one or more modules of the apparatus when the door is in an open position.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, including:

a buffer memory in which data picked up by the one or more modules is stored temporarily when the door is in the open position, and means for transmitting said data to a central unit when the door is in the closed position.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is fitted with a first electromagnetic coil situated at its first end and designed to be powered by electromagnetic induction from a second coil, itself electrically powered and located in such a manner as to be in a vicinity of said first coil at least when the door is in the closed position.

14. Door opening apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting door-opening control information of a door of a given height in a partition;

means for controlling a blocking means for holding the door in a closed position so as to allow or prevent the door opening as a function of the door-opening control information detected;

a section bar support of a length at least substantially equal to the height of the door, said support being designed to be fixed on one of the door and a partition in a position such that it presents a first end located at one of top and bottom ends of said support;

wherein the support is fitted with power supply means and data transmission means comprising at least two conductors which extend substantially to the first end of said support so as to be put into communication with conductors existing in a vicinity of said one of top and bottom ends at which said first end is located;

wherein the support is fitted with quick-fixing means and quick-connection means enabling one or more modules to be fixed to the support and enabling them to be connected to said power supply means and data transmission means, said one or more modules comprising a detection module in which the means for detecting door-opening control information are located, the quick-connection means of the detection module being suitable for connecting said detection module to data transmission means for transmitting a control signal established as a function of the door opening control information detected by said detection module to the means for controlling the door-blocking means.