Door control system with obstacle detection

• US 8,341,885 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynaco Europe
• Original Assignee: Dynaco Europe
• Inventors: Bostyn, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine W
• Assistant Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US12/889,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20120073200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 49 26- 28, 493/60, 318264-266, 318/272, 318/275, 318/277, 318/282, 318/286, 318466-469
• US Class Current: 49/28
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/36 Speed control, detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6818 using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6836 sensing obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/11 Roller shutters
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/88 for limiting unrolling

Abstract

System for controlling a door enabling driving from an initial position of its travel in a first direction at a speed v1 as far as a final position, said control system comprising a safety function comprising means for keeping a door in operation despite its having suffered an impact against an obstacle situated on its travel and enabling it to continue its initial movement automatically as soon as said obstacle is removed, through a design reconciling a sufficiently high normal speed of movement v1 of the door with the intention to prevent damage both to the obstacle and to the door by reducing the speed to v3<v1 close to the stored position of the impact.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a door, enabling driving from an initial control position, P_i of its travel in a first direction at a speed v1 as far as a final control position, P_f, said safety function control system comprising motor, control and sensing means, and a safety function comprising means for performing the following steps in the event of impact with an obstacle obstructing the path of said door in the first direction involving the control having a program that when executed performs:

(a) detection of the impact, stoppage of the motor, and storage of an impact position, P_impact, followed by

(b) reversal of the travel of the door by driving it in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, at a speed v2 as far as a waiting position, P_waiting, predetermined so as to leave sufficient space for removing the obstacle;

(c) after a waiting time, Δ

t_waiting, in the waiting position, P_waiting, driving of the door in the first direction at the speed v1 as far as a predetermined position P₃ situated upstream of before the impact position P_impact, at which point the speed of driving the first direction is reduced to a value v3, with 0<

v3<

v1;

(d) if the door driven in the first direction at a reduced speed of v3 no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact, increasing the speed of driving in the first direction to the value v1 until the door reaches its final control position P_f,

(e) if on the other hand the door driven in the first direction at reduced speed v3 once again detects the obstacle at the same position P_impact, the cycle defined by steps (a) to (c) is repeated and step (d) is executed if the door no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact,

(f) if after a predetermined number N of repetitions of said cycle the obstacle is still detected, driving of the door in the second direction at speed v2 and stopping of the door at a predetermined stop position P_stop, until manual reactivation of the control system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the value of Δ

t_waiting is constant for all the N cycles.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the value of Δ

t_waiting increases after each cycle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting position is fixed for all the N cycles.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting position changes with the number of cycles.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first direction defines the direction of closure of the door and v2≧

v1.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the value of v3 decreases with the number of cycles.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reduction in the speed from v1 to v3 takes place gradually while the position of the door approaches the point of impact Pimm.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting position P_waiting and/or the stop position P_stop correspond to the initial control position P_i.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the travel of the door is linear.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the travel of the door is angular.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the door is rigid.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the door is a flexible shutter.

14. A method for performing a safety function in controlling a door, enabling driving from an initial position, P_i, of its travel in a first direction at a speed v1 as far as a final control position, P_f, said safety function control system comprising a safety function comprising means for the performing of the following steps, in the event of impact with an obstacle obstructing the path of said door in the first direction, by means of a control system comprising motor, control and sensing means, the control having a program that when executed performs:

(a) detection of the impact, stoppage of the motor, and storage of an impact position, P_impact, followed by

(b) reversal of the travel of the door by driving it in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, at a speed v2 as far as a waiting position, P_waiting, predetermined so as to leave sufficient space for removing the obstacle;

(c) after a waiting time, Δ

t_waiting, in the waiting position, P_waiting, driving of the door in the first direction at the speed v1 as far as a predetermined position P₃ situated before the impact position P_impact, at which point the speed of driving the first direction is reduced to a value v3, with 0<

v3<

v1;

(d) if the door driven in the first direction at a reduced speed of v3 no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact, increasing the speed of driving in the first direction to the value v1 until the door reaches its final control position P_f;

(e) if the door driven in the first direction at reduced speed v3 once again detects the obstacle at the same position P_impact, the cycle defined by steps (a) to (c) is repeated and step (d) is executed if the door no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact,

(f) if after a predetermined number N of repetitions of said cycle the obstacle is still detected, driving of the door in the second direction at speed v2 and stopping of the door at a predetermined stop position P_stop, until manual reactivation of the control system.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the value of Δ

t_waiting is constant for all the N cycles.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the value of Δ

t_waiting increases after each cycle.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the waiting position is fixed for all the N cycles.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the waiting position changes with the number of cycles or corresponds to the initial control position P_i.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first direction defines the direction of closure of the door and v2≧

v1.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the value of v3 decreases with the number of cycles.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the reduction in the speed from v1 to v3 takes place gradually while the position of the door approaches the point of impact P_impact.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the waiting position P_waiting and/or the stop position P_stop correspond to the initial control position P_i.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the travel of the door is linear.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the travel of the door is angular.

25. The method according to claim 14, wherein the door is rigid.

26. The method according to claim 14, wherein the door is a flexible shutter.

27. A system for controlling a door, enabling driving from an initial control position, P_i, of its travel in a first direction at a speed v1 as far as a final control position, P_f, said control system comprising motive means for moving the door including a motor, sensing means for sensing conditions proximate the door including a sensor, and a safety function comprising means including a control for performing the following steps in the event of impact with an obstacle obstructing the path of said door in the first direction, the control having a program that when executed performs:

(a) detection of the impact, stoppage of the motor, and storage of an impact position, P_impact, followed by

(b) reversal of the travel of the door by driving it in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, at a speed v2 as far as a waiting position, P_waiting, predetermined so as to leave sufficient space for removing the obstacle;

(c) after a waiting time, Δ

t_waiting, in the waiting position, P_waiting, driving of the door in the first direction at the speed v1 as far as a predetermined position P;

situated before the impact position P_impact, at which point the speed of driving the first direction is reduced to a value v3, with 0<

v3<

v1;

(d) if the door driven in the first direction at a reduced speed of v3 no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact, increasing the speed of driving in the first direction to the value v1 until the door reaches its final control position P_r;

(e) if the door driven in the first direction at reduced speed v3 once again detects the obstacle at the same position P_impact, the cycle defined by steps (a) to (e) is repeated and step (d) is executed if the door no longer detects an obstacle at the position P_impact;

(f) if after a predetermined number N of repetitions of said cycle the obstacle is still detected, driving of the door in the second direction at speed v2 and stopping of the door at a predetermined stop position P_stop, until manual reactivation of the control system wherein the value of Δ

t_waiting is constant for all the N cycles.