Constant speed barrier operator

• US 7,521,881 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRH Newco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wayne-Dalton Corporation (HRH Door Corp.)
• Inventors: Mamaloukas, Jason L., VanDrunen, Paul J., Murray, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luo; David S
• Application Number:
  US11/241,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 318/66, 318/466, 318/280, 318/266
• US Class Current: 318/66
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/416 characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing

Abstract

A constant speed barrier operator comprises a controller, a memory unit, a potentiometer, a pulse counter, and a motor control. The potentiometer and pulse counter monitor the position and speed of an access barrier. As the access barrier is moved between open and closed positions the controller samples the position and speed of the access barrier. These samples are used to analyze whether the speed at a given point deviates from a predetermined speed selected for the access barrier. If a variation exists, the controller takes corrective action by changing power settings for the motor for a given access barrier position.

Claims

1. An open-loop constant speed barrier operator to maintain movement of an access barrier, the operator comprising:

a motor adapted to be linked to the access barrier which moves between opened and closed limit positions;

a detection device associated with one of said motor and the access barrier, said detection device generating at least one measured position value during movement of the access barrier; and

a controller coupled to said motor, said controller generating a measured speed value from each said measured position value, said controller maintaining a barrier speed profile that includes a predetermined speed value associated with each said measured position value, said controller adjusting motor power after the access barrier has moved to either of the opened or closed limit position, such that the speed of subsequent access barrier movements at each measured position substantially match the predetermined speed value maintained by the barrier speed profile.

2. The operator according to claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises:

a pulse counter associated with said motor to generate said speed value and said position value.

3. The operator according to claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises:

a potentiometer associated with one of said motor and the access barrier to generate the position value, wherein said controller generates said speed value based upon changes in said position value.

4. The operator according to claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises:

a current sensor associated with said motor to generate said position value, wherein said controller generates said speed value based upon changes in said position value.

5. The operator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory unit associated with said operator for storing said maintained barrier speed profile.

6. The operator according to claim 5, wherein said memory unit comprises:

a movement position sub-array and a movement speed sub-array;

said controller receiving said position value and storing said position value in said movement position sub-array, said controller storing said speed value in said movement speed sub-array, and comparing said position value and said speed value to the maintained barrier speed.

7. The operator according to claim 6, wherein said memory unit further comprises:

a motor power sub-array which contains variations between the maintained barrier speed and said speed values for corresponding position values.

8. The operator according to claim 7, wherein said controller adjusts power generated by said motor according to values stored in said motor power sub-array.

9. The operator according to claim 8, wherein said sub-arrays are further segmented into arrays for travel of the barrier in a first direction and travel of the barrier in a second direction.

10. The operator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a motor control coupled to said controller and said motor, said motor control comprising;

a filter;

a full-wave rectifier coupled to said filter;

a phase controller coupled to said full-wave rectifier and to said motor, said phase controller having a phase control line to receive a control signal from said controller, whereby in response to said control signal, said phase control adjusts the amount of power delivered to said motor.

11. The operator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a counterbalance system linked to said motor by a drive shaft.

12. An open-loop constant speed barrier operator to monitor the movement of an access barrier between opened and closed limit positions so as to maintain the movement of the access barrier at a predetermined speed value, the constant speed barrier operator comprising:

a controller;

a pulse counter coupled to said controller, said pulse counter configured to provide data on the speed of said access barrier;

a potentiometer coupled to said controller, said potentiometer configured to provide data on the position of said access barrier;

a memory unit coupled to said controller, said memory unit having an upward array and a downward array, said upward and downward arrays comprising;

a movement position sub-array;

a motor power sub-array; and

a movement speed sub-array;

said controller sampling the data provided by said potentiometer and said pulse counter to generate a speed value that is associated with said position value, said controller storing both said position value in said movement position sub-array, and said speed value in said movement speed sub-array, wherein after the movement of the access barrier to either of the opened or closed limit position, said controller compares said speed value with the predetermined setup speed value, such that if a variation is found, said controller stores an updated motor power value associated with said position value and said speed value in said motor power sub-array.

13. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 12, further comprising

a motor coupled to said controller.

14. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 13, wherein said motor changes speed according to the magnitude of said motor power value.

15. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 14, further comprising

a motor control coupled to said controller and said motor.

16. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 15, wherein said motor control comprises:

a filter;

a full-wave rectifier coupled to said filter;

a phase controller coupled to said full-wave rectifier and to said motor, said phase control having a phase control line to receive a control signal from said controller;

whereby in response to said control signal, said phase control adjusts the amount of power delivered to said motor.

17. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 15, wherein said motor control utilizes phase control to control the speed of said motor.

18. The constant speed barrier operator according to claim 12, further comprising:

a counterbalance system linked to said motor by a drive shaft.

19. A method for controlling the movement of an access barrier at a predetermined setup speed during the movement of the access barrier to an opened or closed limit position, the method comprising:

providing an open-loop barrier operator having a memory unit coupled to a controller;

creating at least one array in said memory unit,

sampling the position of said access barrier to generate a position value;

determining the speed of the access barrier from said position values obtained at the sampling step;

storing the sampled position and speed sample values in said array;

comparing said sampled speed values associated with a given position value with a predetermined setup speed value after said access barrier has moved to either of the opened or closed limit positions; and

adjusting a motor power value associated with a given position sample value if said sample speed value does not match said predetermined setup speed value.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said motor power value is decreased if said sampled speed value is greater than said predetermined setup speed value.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said motor power value is increased if said sampled speed value is less than said predetermined setup speed value.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said arrays comprise an upward and a downward array.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said upward array comprises a motor power sub-array, a movement speed sub-array, and a movement position sub-array.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said downward array comprises a motor power sub-array, a movement speed sub-array, and a movement position sub-array.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein said position sampling step is performed by a potentiometer.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein said position sampling step is performed by a current sensor.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein said speed sampling step is performed by a pulse counter.

28. The method according to claim 19 comprising:

providing a motor coupled to said controller.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said motor is controlled by a motor control coupled to said motor and said controller.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said motor control utilizes phase control to control the speed of said motor.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein said motor control comprises:

a filter;

a full-wave rectifier coupled to said filter;

a phase controller coupled to said full-wave rectifier and to said motor, said phase control having a phase control line to receive a control signal from said controller;

whereby in response to said control signal, said phase control adjusts the amount of power delivered to said motor.

32. The method according to claim 28 comprising:

linking a counterbalance system to said motor.