ES2397575T3 - Electronic safety device for automatic barriers - Google Patents

Abstract

Safety device (1) for automatic barriers, wherein said barrier comprises at least one edge (2, 3) located in correspondence with the most dangerous part of the barrier itself, said security device (1) being electrically connected to a mechanism (21, 31) sensitive to obstacles, including at least one edge (2, 3) and a control unit (5) of said barrier by means of a cable (211, 311); said obstacle-sensitive mechanism being adapted to send, through said cable, a barrier contact detection signal with an obstacle; said obstacle-sensitive mechanism being a cable sensor connected to a micro switch, wherein said safety device (1) comprises an electronic panel provided with at least one input door (15, 18, 15, 18) to which it is connected said cable (211, 311) carrying the detection signal, at least one output door (20) adapted to send a blocking signal to said control unit (5), at least one module (11, 12, 13, 14) inserted between said entrance door (15, 16, 17, 18) and said exit door (20) adapted to detect an irregular functioning of the barrier and to send a blocking signal through said exit door (20) , characterized in that the dichomodule comprises: * a voltage divider, which includes an edge resistor (Rc), arranged in series with the mechanism sensitive to the obstacles of the edge itself, and a resistor, (R1c) with a substantially equal resistivity value to the edge resistor (Rc), co connected to a power line, adapted to provide a constant voltage through it of normal operation, an irregularity in the edge (2, 3) or edge cable (211, 311) will alter the balance in the division by generating a tension through it different from normal operation; * a light (111, 121, 131, 141) pilot of the current edge operation (2, 3).

Description

Electronic safety device for automatic barriers

The present invention relates to an electronic security device for a mobile element, for example, for automatic gate edges or garage closures, etc.

In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic safety device for automatic barriers equipped with an obstacle-sensitive mechanism that the barrier may encounter during an opening or closing operation.

Automatic access gates to private areas, or usually garage closures, are operated by users from fixed positions, through buttons or keys or other opening or closing by remote remote control means, which send a pulse via radio to an electronic switchboard, which then operates the barrier in the desired direction.

In addition, generally, in the case of remote transmissions via radio, after having ordered the opening, subsequent closure occurs by sending a new order by the user, or if it does not occur automatically after a certain period of default time

These types of sliding barriers, however, can cause serious inconveniences from the point of view of user safety, since, due to the inherent conformation of the structures, these usually comprise moving parts that have sharp edges, quite dangerous for the Username; such moving parts, if not properly controlled, may impact and crush the vehicle of the user crossing the barrier, or the user himself.

In fact, in these mobile elements when operated remotely from fixed positions, the movement of the structure may not be automatically interrupted at the time of impact with potential users or other objects with the protruding parts of the structures mentioned above, if not interrupted. Manually power the system in the period of time after the actual need.

The edges of an automatic gate are sections subject to the gate in its end portions, in particular, located in correspondence with the most dangerous edges. For example, in the case of a sliding gate formed by two rectangular sliding closures, there may be two edges, one for each closure, arranged vertically on the vertical sides of the closure, which are joined together when the gate is closed.

In order to stop or interrupt the course of an automatic moving gate in case of imminent danger, without having to intervene manually, safety systems have been used for sliding gates, substantially based on the use of edges comprising impact sensors or obstacles.

Automatic gate edges are known, provided with an obstacle sensor made of rubber sections. In particular, such an edge consists of two parallel layers, insulated of conductive rubber, inside which an electrical cable is inserted through which current flows. The current flowing in this area is controlled by an electronic unit. By performing a mechanical pressure on the outer edge of rubber, from any direction in 180 degrees, an electrical contact is created that induces the electronic unit to intervene, blocking the movement of the gate.

Edges that have a cable impact sensor are also known. In particular, such edges are composed of an aluminum bearing section, with a rubber section inserted in which the obstacle detection system is located, composed of a tense steel cable and connected to an equalizer that operates two micro switches .

A pressure on each cable causes the change of state of at least one of the two micro switches, which interrupts an electronic switchboard enabled, which blocks the movement of the gate.

The applicant has observed that the systems of the known technique do not detect an irregularity of operation of the impact sensors, since in case of irregularity no signal is sent to the operation control unit of the gate.

Such irregularities of operation are quite frequent given the remarkable frequency of use of an automatic gate, for example of a condominium or garage.

EP-0 497 692 discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The applicant has raised the problem of making the safety device supplied to the barriers safer with a mechanism that is sensitive to the obstacles that the barrier may encounter.

For this, the applicant has achieved an electronic safety device for automatic barriers that can detect, in addition to possible impacts of the barrier with objects or people, also irregularities of operation of the mechanism sensitive to obstacles, such as, for example, a short circuit of a connecting cable between said sensitive mechanism and the control unit that determines the constant disabling of the barrier function.

Such a device can advantageously be associated with devices adapted to detect an intrusion or interference, such as anti-theft and security devices in general.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a safety device for automatic barriers according to claim 1.

The features and advantages of the device according to the present invention will be clarified and will be more apparent from the following description by way of example and not limitation, of an embodiment with reference to the attached figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing two edges of a gate connected to the electronic safety device according to the present invention and to a gate control unit;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the electronic safety device according to the present invention;

Figure 3 represents an example of an electrical diagram of a module of the electronic safety device according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is an example of an electrical diagram of an electronic alarm circuit safety device according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is an example of an electrical diagram of an electronic power circuit safety device according to the present invention.

With reference to the cited figures, a safety device 1 according to the present invention is associated with a barrier, which in the example of the figure is an automatic gate provided with at least one edge for the closures of the gate and with a unit of central control of the gate itself.

In Figure 1, illustrated as an example, there is a first edge 2 and a second edge 3, each edge being, for example, associated with a closure of a sliding gate with two closures.

Each edge comprises at least one obstacle-sensitive mechanism that the edge may encounter during the opening or closing operation of the gate. Such a mechanism is a steel cable sensor connected to a micro switch.

The present invention can be applied in an equivalent manner to edges provided with an obstacle-sensitive mechanism that sends a signal through a cable to the gate control unit in case of impact with an obstacle. In Figure 1, such sensitive mechanisms are schematically shown with reference numbers 21 and 31 at respective edges 2 and 3.

The mechanisms 21 and 31 are connected to the safety device 1, object of the present invention, by means of respective electrical cables 211 and 311.

In Fig. 2, a principle diagram of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention is illustrated, comprising a plurality of modules arranged along an electronic panel, having the same characteristics, in which each module monitors an edge. . In particular, in the figure, four modules 11, 12, 13 and 14 are shown, in which a first module 11 and a second module 12 are connected respectively to the cable 211 from the first edge 2 and to the cable 311 from the second edge 3.

In general, according to the present invention, the electronic safety device 1 comprises at least one module that can be connected to an edge. The number of modules can be increased as necessary according to the number of edges present in a gate. Alternatively, if the number of edges is considerable, more safety devices may be arranged in series (for example, if the gate has 8 edges, there may be two electronic panels, each comprising four modules).

In the diagram of said safety device, an entry door is provided for each module; in the example of figure 2 four entrance doors 15, 16, 17 and 18 are illustrated.

Said panel also comprises at least one exit door 20 connected to a control group 4 comprising at least one relay whose output is connected to a control unit 5 of the mechanisms of the entire automatic gate.

In the figure, a first relay 41 and a second relay 42 are respectively illustrated, each associated respectively with two modules.

Each module 11 or 12 or 13 or 14, inserted between said entrance door and said exit door, is adapted to detect an irregularity of edge operation, for example, a short circuit of said cable, and is adapted to properly signal said irregularity. through a pilot light 111 or 121 or 131 or 141 (normally lit in correct operating conditions), and send through said output port a blocking signal for relay group 4, which in turn determines, to through the control unit, stop the movement of the gate.

The device further comprises two alarm circuits 19, provided with an alarm pilot light 191, connected to all device modules and a power supply group 21 for all electrical components of the panel.

In the example of the embodiment of Figure 3, the first module 11 is illustrated in detail; the diagrams of the subsequent modules 12, 13 and 14 are similar and therefore their illustration has been omitted. In particular, module 11 comprises a voltage divider that includes an edge resistor Rc arranged in series with the sensitive mechanism of the edge itself and a resistor R16 connected to power the line Vcc. The two resistors of the divider have substantially the same value and are adapted to generate a constant voltage across the divider. A possible irregularity in the edge or in the cable of the edge will alter the balance in the divider, generating a tension through the same different from the one of normal operation.

The module also includes a capacitor C5 short-circuit to ground for high frequency voltages that can affect the effectiveness of the device.

Downstream of such a divider there is a pilot circuit 110 with a pilot light 111 of correct operation, preferably formed by a pair of transistors Tr7 and Tr8 controlled by said divider, said transistors being normally in connected power supply. The driving transistors allow the pilot light, for example an LED, to remain on during proper operation. A possible imbalance of the voltage of the divider due to an irregularity in the monitored edge determines the cut of one of the two transistors, determining the shutdown of the pilot light of correct operation.

The module further comprises downstream of said pilot circuit, an electronic isolator 112, formed by a LED diode coupled with a photodiode that electrically separates the pilot circuit from the downstream electrical components, and an anti-investment circuit 113.

The module output has a signal indicating the correct operation of the edge, or signals an irregularity.

The alarm circuit 19 receives at its input the output signals of the various modules. Alternatively, there may be several alarm circuits, each connected for example to two modules or, equivalently, a single alarm circuit connected to all modules.

In detail, the alarm circuit preferably comprises a pilot circuit 190, which includes a transistor Tr1 and a capacitor C3, which allow the alarm pilot light 191 to flash intermittently due to its intrinsic characteristics when one of the modules sends an irregular signal. to the circuit itself.

Parallel to said pilot circuit, there is a phase 192 of amplification of the irregular signal from the modules. Such amplified signal is sent to the control group 4, in particular, to the second relay 42, which sends a cut-off signal to the gate control unit 5.

The electronic panel of the device, object of the present invention, further comprises the power circuit 21, which receives electrical power from the outside, for example, from the gate control unit, and provides a stabilized Vcc power to the panel.

The power circuit is provided with a fuse 211 and a diode 210 LEDs arranged in parallel with each other, so that a possible breakage of the fuse is signaled in a luminous manner. In addition, the circuit comprises a voltage stabilizer 212 at whose output the stabilized voltage Vcc is extracted for the electronic panel of the electronic safety device according to the invention.

The safety device according to the present invention, in case of appreciable irregularities of additional safety circuits present in the barrier, does not prevent the extension of a blocking signal sent by said circuits to the control unit. In addition, in case of possible failure, which may occur in the electronic panel, the safety device according to the present invention blocks the operation of the mobile element to which it is associated.

Claims (5)

1. Safety device (1) for automatic barriers, wherein said barrier comprises at least one edge (2, 3) located in correspondence with the most dangerous part of the barrier itself, said safety device (1) being electrically connected to an obstacle-sensitive mechanism (21, 31), included in said at least one edge (2, 3) and to a control unit (5) of said barrier by means of a cable (211, 311); said obstacle-sensitive mechanism being adapted to send, through said cable, a barrier contact detection signal with an obstacle; said obstacle-sensitive mechanism being a cable sensor connected to a micro switch; wherein said safety device (1) comprises an electronic panel provided with at least one input door (15, 18, 15, 18) to which said cable (211, 311) that carries the detection signal is connected, at least one exit door (20) adapted to send a blocking signal to said unit (5) control, at least one module (11, 12, 13, 14) inserted between said input door (15, 16, 17, 18) and said output door (20) adapted to detect an irregularity of operation of the barrier and to send a blocking signal through said exit door (20), characterized in that said module comprises:

•

 a voltage divider, which includes an edge resistor (Rc), arranged in series with the obstacle-sensitive mechanism of the edge itself, and a resistor, (R1c) with a resistivity value substantially equal to that of the resistor (Rc ) edge, connected to a power line, adapted to provide a constant voltage through it normal operation, an irregularity in the edge (2, 3) or edge cable (211, 311) will alter the balance in the divider generating a voltage across it different from that of normal operation;

•

 a light (111, 121, 131, 141) pilot of the current edge operation (2, 3).

2.

Device according to claim 1, wherein said module comprises a pilot circuit (110) for said pilot light (111) of correct operation, arranged downstream of said voltage divider, which provides a signal indicative of said irregularity.

3.

Device according to claim 2, further comprising an alarm pilot light (191) for an irregularity signaled by any one of the modules present in said panel.

Four.

Device according to claim 3, further comprising an alarm circuit (19) which receives at its input said signal indicative of the modules and activates in case of irregular operation of the edge said light (191) alarm light intermittently.

5.

Device according to claim 4, wherein said alarm circuit (19) sends said blocking signal to said barrier control unit (5).