Anti-entrapment system
First Claim
1. An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device, the system comprising:
- a sensor positionable adjacent to or on a translating device, the sensor having a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, a first conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a first portion of the jacket and connected to the jacket, and a second conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a second portion of the jacket opposite the first jacket portion and connected to the second jacket portion such that the conductors are opposite from one another;
wherein, in response to an object pressing against the first jacket portion towards the second jacket portion, the jacket compresses from a non-compressed state in which the conductors are separated from one another to a compressed state in which the first conductor is moved towards the second conductor and contacts the second conductor;
the sensor further having a compressible support outside of the cavity and positioned on the second jacket portion;
wherein, in response to the object pressing against the first jacket portion towards the second jacket portion while the jacket is in the compressed state, the support compresses away from the second jacket portion to reduce pinching of the object by a translating device when the object is between the first jacket portion and the translating device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device includes a sensor positionable adjacent to or on the translating device. The sensor has a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, and first and second conductors positioned within the cavity opposite from one another. In response to an object pressing against the jacket, the jacket compresses from a non-compressed state in which the conductors are not in electrical contact to a compressed state in which the conductors are in electrical contact. The sensor has a compressible support either inside or outside of the cavity. In response to the object pressing against the jacket while the jacket is compressed, the support compresses to allow the jacket to compress further in order reduce pinching of the object by the translating device when the object is between the jacket and the translating device.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device, the system comprising:
-
a sensor positionable adjacent to or on a translating device, the sensor having a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, a first conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a first portion of the jacket and connected to the jacket, and a second conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a second portion of the jacket opposite the first jacket portion and connected to the second jacket portion such that the conductors are opposite from one another; wherein, in response to an object pressing against the first jacket portion towards the second jacket portion, the jacket compresses from a non-compressed state in which the conductors are separated from one another to a compressed state in which the first conductor is moved towards the second conductor and contacts the second conductor; the sensor further having a compressible support outside of the cavity and positioned on the second jacket portion; wherein, in response to the object pressing against the first jacket portion towards the second jacket portion while the jacket is in the compressed state, the support compresses away from the second jacket portion to reduce pinching of the object by a translating device when the object is between the first jacket portion and the translating device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device, the system comprising:
-
a sensor positionable adjacent to or on a translating device, the sensor having a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, a first conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a first portion of the jacket and connected to the jacket, and a second conductor positioned within the cavity adjacent to a second portion of the jacket opposite the first jacket portion and connected to the jacket such that the conductors are opposite from one another; the sensor further having a conductive compressible support within the cavity between the first and second conductors; wherein, in response to an object pressing against the jacket, the jacket compresses from a non-compressed state in which the conductors are separated from the support to a compressed state in which the conductors move toward the support and contact the support; wherein, in response to the object pressing against the jacket while the jacket is in the compressed state, the support compresses to allow the jacket to compress further in order reduce pinching of the object by a translating device external to the jacket when the object is between the jacket and the translating device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device, the system comprising:
-
a sensor having a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, a compressible dielectric element within the cavity, and first and second conductors within the jacket on opposite sides of the dielectric element such that the conductors are separated from one another by a separation distance, the conductors having a capacitance dependent upon the separation distance; wherein the capacitance of the conductors changes in response to a geometry of the sensor changing as a result of at least one of the conductors and the dielectric element deforming in response to an object touching the jacket; the jacket further having a detail for attaching the sensor either to a seal of a translating device or directly to the translating device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification