JPH0423233B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Claim 1: A method for detecting an object in the path of a closing sliding door, comprising: continuously activating an energy emitter when the sliding door closes to detect one of two vertical front ends of the area closed by the sliding door; from a plurality of vertically spaced points along the vertical front end to a detector at the other of the vertical front ends such that the distance between the detector and the energy emitter increases as the sliding door closes. sensing the energy transmitted by the energy emitters and generating an output signal in response to the energy; and detecting the energy transmitted by the energy emitters from the detector when the energy is emitted from each energy emitter. Detecting an object in the path of a closing sliding door, characterized in that it senses the output and generates a sliding door stop signal when there is no output from the detector when power is being supplied to each energy radiator. how to.

2. A detection device for detecting the presence of an object in the path of a closing sliding door, the device comprising: a plurality of energy radiators vertically spaced at a first vertical front end in a region where the sliding door moves to a closed position; a second vertical front end in the region substantially parallel to the first vertical front end, the distance between the first vertical front end and the second vertical front end being such that the sliding door closes; As a result, the output signal can be provided corresponding to the energy transmitted by each energy radiator,
and an energy detector disposed on the second vertical front end at a position such that the distance between the detector and each energy emitter decreases as the sliding door is closed; and means for supplying a sliding door control signal when the energy emitters are powered and the detector produces no output signal, and means for supplying a sliding door control signal when the sliding door is closed. A device for detecting the presence of an object in the passage of a closing sliding door, characterized in that the energy detector and the energy detector perform relative movements in other directions.

3. In a device for detecting an obstacle in the path of an end that moves horizontally to close an aperture, for generating a received signal indicating the absence of said obstacle in response to a plurality of synchrotron radiation signals crossing the aperture. a plurality of vertically spaced energy emitters, each energy emitter responsive to a pulse signal applied to each energy emitter by a selected sequence; providing one of a plurality of radiated signals received at an angle to the horizontal, said angle increasing in absolute magnitude as the edge closes, provided by a plurality of energy radiators; For each pulse signal, the receiver determines whether or not it is generating a received signal, and generates an obstruction signal indicating the presence of an obstruction when a pulse signal is present and a corresponding received signal is absent. A device for detecting an obstacle, characterized in that it is provided with means for responding to a pulse signal and a received signal for output.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting objects in the path of a closing sliding door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Elevators typically use one or more sliding doors to open and close automatically. Therefore, immediately before or during the automatic closing of the sliding door, the device is controlled using a device that detects the presence of an obstacle, that is, a passenger, between the sliding doors, and prevents the door from closing any further. Preferably, the door is normally opened again.

Such devices direct a beam of light into a path across the opening of the sliding door and use sensors to detect interruptions in the beam that occur when an obstruction is between the sliding doors. Upon detection of a blockage, the sensor then sends a signal to the sliding door control mechanism to alter the normal operation of the sliding door, preferably to reopen the sliding door.

Typically, such devices include a line of light sources placed on one side of the doorway, providing parallel beams of light at different heights, and a corresponding line of light-sensitive detectors on the other side of the doorway. A system is constructed that can detect these rays and thus detect objects of different heights between the sliding doors. For maximum sensitivity, the light beams are generally collimated by lenses so that each sensor responds to only one light source.

Although this device is generally satisfactory, it has the disadvantage that objects located between the beams are not detected because the beams are separated from each other.
For example, an arm extending horizontally cannot be detected.

Of course, sensitivity can be improved, for example, by further reducing the spacing of the parallel beams to provide an essentially continuous beam. However, arranging equipment and maintaining sensitivity is costly, and in order to prevent light from straying from one sensor from reaching the wrong adjacent sensor and not reaching the correct sensor, it is necessary to must be highly parallel. The large number of photodetectors required for this as well as optical systems for collimating the beams of course add significantly to costs.

A mirror can be used to stretch the path length of the light ray from the light source so that the light ray traverses the sliding door opening many times before reaching the photodetector. However, although this reduces the number of photodetectors required, it also reduces the intensity of the light beam reaching each detector, thus ultimately increasing the demands on the beam optics.

Therefore, the parallel beams replaced in a row are stable,
It has been widely accepted as the best compromise in terms of efficiency and cost.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The first invention according to the present application is a method for detecting an object in the path of a closing sliding door, which detects an object in the path of a closing sliding door by continuously operating an energy radiator when the sliding door closes. transmitting energy from a plurality of vertically spaced points along one of the two vertical front ends to a detector on the other of the vertical front ends, the distance between the detector and the energy emitter being the sliding door shortens as it closes; sensing energy transmitted by the energy radiators and generating an output signal responsive to the energy; and radiating the energy from each energy radiator. A closing sliding door characterized in that it senses the output from the detector when the sensor is activated, and generates a sliding door stop signal when there is no output from the detector while power is being supplied to each energy radiator. This method detects objects in the path of

A second invention is a detection device for detecting the presence of an object in the path of a closing sliding door, the detection device being arranged at a first vertical front end in a region where the sliding door moves to a closed position and spaced apart in the vertical direction. a plurality of energy radiators; a second vertical front end in the region substantially parallel to the first vertical front end, the distance between the first vertical front end and the second vertical front end being a distance between the first vertical front end and the second vertical front end; , resulting in a shortening as the sliding door closes; and being capable of providing an output signal corresponding to the energy transmitted by each energy radiator;
and an energy detector disposed on the second vertical front end in a position such that the distance between the detector and each energy emitter decreases as the sliding door is closed; and means for supplying a sliding door control signal when the energy emitters are powered and the detector produces no output signal, and means for supplying a sliding door control signal when the sliding door is closed. and an energy detector are devices for detecting the presence of objects in the path of a closing sliding door, characterized by their relative movement in other directions.

A third aspect of the present invention is a device for detecting an obstacle in a path of an end that moves horizontally to close an opening, which receives a received signal indicating that there is no obstacle in response to a plurality of synchrotron radiation signals crossing the opening. a plurality of vertically spaced energy emitters, each energy emitter responsive to a pulse signal applied to each energy emitter in accordance with a selected sequence; providing one of a plurality of radiated signals received at an angle to the horizontal, said angle increasing in absolute magnitude as the edges are closed; for determining whether the receiver is generating a received signal for each pulse signal provided, and for determining the presence of a pulse signal and the absence of a received signal;
This is a device for detecting an obstacle, characterized in that it is provided with means for responding to a pulse signal and a received signal.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a light source and a sensor of the present invention attached to sliding doors of adjacent elevators.

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of FIG. 1 when the sliding doors are close together.

3, 4 and 5 show alternative arrangements of the sensor and light source section of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first elevator door 1.
0 and a second elevator door 20 are shown. These doors are shown in the open position in FIG.
The closing edge 11 of the door 20 contacts the closing edge 21 of the door 20 .

Light source units 12 and 22 and sensors 13 and 23
A plurality of elements constituted by the closing edges 11, 21
A first array and a second array are defined.

The first array consists of light sources 12 spaced apart from each other along the edge 11 and sensors 13 at the top and bottom of the edge 11.

A second array of adjacent closing edges 21 (on the door 20) is connected to the remaining light source portions 22 on the edge 21.
and a sensor 23.

The light source may be an incandescent bulb, an LED device, or a suitable radiation generating device, such as an infrared light source adjusted such that the emitted radiation is distinguishable from surrounding background radiation. .

Similarly, the sensor can be any suitable device that is sensitive to radiation from the light source and insensitive to radiation from sources other than the light source. Therefore, a photodiode, a phototransistor, etc. can be used as a sensor, and these may be provided with a gate synchronized with an adjusted light source section to increase sensitivity.

Unlike previous methods, which use a light source and detector as a combined pair and require the light to be collimated to improve sensitivity, the radiation from this light source is not collimated. Each sensor therefore actually receives radiation in multiple paths, each extending between the sensor and one of the light sources as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show multiple paths extending between the light source and the sensor. Each path is distinguished by an alpha alphabet indicating the sensor and a number indicating the light source at the end of the path. As is clear from Figure 2, these paths intersect,
A network is formed in the space between the closing edges 11 and 21 of the door, and the space between these paths is smaller than that of conventional devices.

A circuit is provided such that when each light source section is activated, it emits radiation in a first order and each sensor is monitored in a second order, such that one sensor is monitored whenever one light source section is activated. . For example, when each light source section 12 is activated in succession, one of the sensors 23 is monitored. Next, the light source section 22
One of the sensors 13 is monitored as each successively operates. Thereafter, when each of the light source units 12 is activated again in succession, the other sensor (second sensor 23) is monitored. Next, when the light source section 22 operates continuously again, the other sensor (second sensor 13) is monitored. Although the exact order is not critical, the preferred basic operation is for each light source and sensor combination to operate in an order that defines a path between each light source and the sensor, many times per second. be monitored.

Each path is thus monitored for obstacles once in the entire sequence. Further, since the sensor does not receive radiation from other light sources and the other light sources are not operating, the sensor has extremely high sensitivity to obstacles. Since each path consists of a single sensor and light source combination, the sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted in synchronization with the operation of the light source to maximize sensitivity. For example, the gain of the amplifier that receives the signal from the sensor 13 is set to one of the light source sections 22 through the path A6.
When the other light source section 22 is operating
Can be raised higher when C7 is activated.

FIG. 2 will be explained. FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1, but with the doors closer together, it will be clear that the closer the doors are to each other the more the luminous flux density in the space of the path increases.

In its simplest form, the invention includes embodiments as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. Furthermore, since light sources are available at low cost compared to sensors, those skilled in the art will recognize that many geometric arrangements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

It is desirable to create a signal such that only one sensor and light source combination is active at any time. However, the sensor and light source combination can also be selected to operate simultaneously. For example, the light source on one edge and the sensor on the other edge can be activated simultaneously, and the sensor on the one edge and the light source on the other edge can be activated at the same time.

The circuitry necessary to create embodiments of the invention may employ a variety of techniques that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the above description. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention can be used not only to monitor the entrance and exit of an elevator, but also as a safety device that monitors a certain part, for example, to detect that a person is in a dangerous part of the machine, or to ensure that a person gets on and off the machine appropriately. It can be used for different purposes, such as to detect the presence of an object at a predetermined location, or to detect the presence of an object at a predetermined location.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention described above within the scope of the present invention.