Door Opening Device

Abstract

To provide a device that opens a door when an earthquake occurs. [Solution] This door opening device is a safety device to prevent people from being trapped inside due to door distortion during an earthquake, and includes a receiving means for receiving earthquake alerts, an electronic lock control means 13 for automatically unlocking the door when the receiving means receives an earthquake alert, a spring mechanism for opening the door several centimeters using the force of a spring after the electronic lock 14 is released, and an unlocking mechanism that normally keeps the spring mechanism in a compressed state and allows the spring to open when an earthquake alert is received.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to technology for preventing people from being trapped inside a building during a disaster such as an earthquake, and in particular to a device that automatically unlocks doors in response to an earthquake and opens them a certain distance to secure an evacuation route. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, there have been reported cases where building doors became distorted during earthquakes and could not be opened, making evacuation difficult. For this reason, electronic lock systems that automatically unlock doors during earthquakes have been proposed, but there are cases where the door frame is deformed and the door cannot actually be opened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5364212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a manual door opening device that allows a person to open a door by themselves if the door has been distorted by an earthquake. However, this device has practical problems, as it requires the person to forcefully open the door using a crowbar, making it difficult for elderly people and women who have little strength, and it is attached to the top of the door, making it difficult for them to reach.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to automatically unlock the door when an earthquake early warning is received and use the force of a spring to open the door at least a few centimeters to secure an evacuation route, thereby reducing the risk of being trapped inside due to distortion of the door frame. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The door opening device according to the invention comprises the following means: (1) A receiving means 12 for receiving earthquake early warnings; (2) An electronic lock control means 13 for automatically unlocking the door when the receiving means 12 receives an earthquake early warning; and (3) a door opening mechanism for automatically opening the door by a few centimeters using the force of a spring after the electronic lock is released. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this device, the door lock is automatically unlocked when an earthquake early warning is received, and the door opening mechanism physically opens the door, ensuring a secure evacuation route in the event of an earthquake. Furthermore, by using control based on GPS location information and a disposable spring structure, malfunctions due to malfunction or reuse can be prevented, making this a system that combines safety and convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a door opening according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall structure of a door opening according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the mechanism of door opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Example 1] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This embodiment is applicable to entrances of houses, commercial facilities, warehouses, etc., and is particularly effective when installed on the front door of a house such as an apartment building. Due to its simple structure, it can be installed later in an existing facility, and can be applied to doors of any structure.

[0010] 1 and 2 show the overall configuration of a door opening device according to the present invention. The door opening device according to the present invention comprises a control unit 11, a receiving means 12, an electronic lock control means 13, an electronic lock 14, and a door opening mechanism 15. The door opening mechanism 15 includes a cylinder 151, a spring 152, an unlocking mechanism 153, and a pressing means 154. The door opening mechanism 15 is fixed to the ceiling or the like inside the door.

[0011] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 11 is composed of a microcontroller and other components that form the core of this device. It comprehensively analyzes signals from the receiving means 12 and earthquake detection sensor 15 and issues operation commands to the electronic lock control means 13 at appropriate times. It also cooperates with a GPS unit to confirm the consistency between earthquake information and the installation location before issuing permission for operation. Only when the earthquake early warning information indicates a predetermined seismic intensity or higher can it issue instructions to unlock the electronic lock and open the door, as described below. Generally, door opening becomes difficult with a seismic intensity of 5 or lower, and this becomes more frequent with a seismic intensity of 6 or higher. Therefore, the door opening device may be activated only when, for example, information is received indicating an impending earthquake of a seismic intensity of 5 or higher.

[0012] The receiving means 12 is configured to be able to receive information related to earthquake alerts from earthquake alert services such as those of the Japan Meteorological Agency, and can transmit a signal to the control unit 11 when an earthquake is predicted to occur. Furthermore, the receiving means 12 may have a GPS unit 12a, which identifies the installation location of the door opening device and transmits a signal to the control unit 11 only when the received earthquake alert corresponds to that location. In addition to or instead of the receiving means 11, an earthquake detection sensor capable of detecting the initial tremors of an earthquake may be provided. There are no particular limitations on the earthquake detection sensor as long as it can detect the initial tremors of an earthquake, and an acceleration sensor or the like can be used.

[0013] The electronic lock control means 13 automatically unlocks the electronic lock installed on the door 20 based on a command from the control unit 11.

[0014] The electronic lock has an electromagnetic locking mechanism installed between the door frame and the door body, and normally holds the door closed by a solenoid that engages a lock bolt with a receiving part on the door frame. When the electronic lock control means 13 is activated, the solenoid is energized or cut off, releasing the lock bolt and allowing the door to be opened. The electronic lock also has a built-in backup power supply or capacitor to cope with power outages.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the door opening mechanism 15 can include a cylinder 151, a spring 152, an unlocking mechanism 153, and a pressing means 154. FIG. 3(a) shows the door in its normal closed state. The spring 152 is held in the cylinder 151 and is normally held in a compressed state by the unlocking mechanism 153. FIG. 3(b) shows the door opening mechanism 15 activated upon detection of an earthquake. The lock is released based on a command from the control unit 11, and the pressing means 154 pops out due to the force of the spring 152, pushing the door 20 open several centimeters. The unlocking mechanism 153 is composed of a lock pin, latch, or retaining plate that physically restricts the operation of the spring 152. Commonly used lock pins, latches, or retaining plates can be used. The unlocking mechanism 153 is designed to be instantly released upon receiving a command from the control unit 11 using an electromagnetic actuator, fuse, or other device. For example, in the case of an electromagnetic latch, a solenoid is energized by a control signal, and a retaining pin is pulled out, releasing spring 152. Alternatively, in the case of a mechanical fuse mechanism, a heating element or pulse current breaks the fuse material, physically releasing the lock. To ensure reliability, unlocking mechanism 153 is configured as a disposable structure that does not return to its original state after activation.

[0016] (System Operation) The control unit 11 receives the signal from the receiving means 12 and outputs a control signal to the electronic lock control means 13 to unlock the electronic lock. At the same time, it outputs a control signal to the lock release mechanism 153 of the door opening mechanism 15 to release the lock. It is also possible to output a control signal to the lock release mechanism 153 to release the lock after detecting that the electronic lock has been unlocked. This makes it possible to prevent the door opening mechanism 15 from being unlocked before the electronic lock is unlocked, in cases where it takes several seconds to unlock the electronic lock.

[0017] The specific operation method of the electronic lock control means 13 is as follows. First, when the receiving means 12 receives an earthquake alert or when the earthquake detection sensor 15 detects shaking of a predetermined acceleration or greater, this information is transmitted to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 compares the location information of the received earthquake information with preset GPS location information, and only if it determines that the information matches or is close to the location information, sends an operation command to the electronic lock control means 13. Next, it instructs the electronic lock to turn on or off power via the solenoid drive circuit, thereby releasing the lock bolt from its engaged state. After an internal sensor confirms that the door has been securely unlocked, it sends a signal to the door opening mechanism 15 to unlock the unlocking mechanism 13. The above series of operations is performed automatically and continuously within a few seconds of detecting an earthquake.

[0018] In addition to the series of operations, the control unit 11 may notify a user terminal or the like that the door opening operation has been performed. This allows the user to check whether the door has opened even if they are not near the door where the door opening mechanism is installed, providing peace of mind in the event of an earthquake.

[0019] (Features of the embodiment) This door opening device can automatically open the door immediately upon detecting an earthquake, even if the door is locked, so it can reliably prevent the door frame or the door itself from warping and becoming unable to open or close during an earthquake.In addition, by controlling it to operate only in response to earthquakes of a certain seismic intensity or higher, it can prevent the door from opening even in minor earthquakes that occur frequently, which can actually cause security problems, making it highly practical. [Industrial Applicability]

[0020] This device can be applied to entrances of homes, commercial facilities, warehouses, etc. Its simple structure allows it to be retrofitted to existing facilities and can be applied to doors of any structure. In particular, in apartment buildings, the door may be the only escape route, and it is useful for securing an evacuation route in areas where a large earthquake is predicted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 13: Electronic lock control means 14: Electronic lock 15: Door opening mechanism

Claims

1. A device that opens a door when an earthquake occurs, receiving means for detecting the occurrence of an earthquake; an electronic lock control means for automatically unlocking the door when an earthquake is detected by the receiving means; a door opening mechanism that opens the door by the force of a spring, The door opening mechanism is characterized in that it normally holds the spring in a compressed state and includes a lock release mechanism that allows the spring to be released when an earthquake is detected. Door opening device.

2. The receiving means receives information related to earthquake early warnings, Only when an earthquake alert corresponding to the installation location of the device is received, It is characterized by its operation The door opening device of claim 1.

3. After the door is unlocked, The spring is released.

3. A door opening device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The door opening mechanism is a disposable structure that cannot be reused once it is activated. The door opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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