Automatic opening and closing doors

Abstract

To provide an automatic opening / closing door that is easy to use.SOLUTION: The automatic opening / closing door comprises an electric lock, a human sensor and an opening / closing mechanism. Regarding the electric lock, a detection range of an electronic key is set such that unlocking is carried out when a person possessing the electronic key is positioned within each set distance range outside and inside of the door. At least one human sensor is installed both outside and inside of the door. On the outside of the door, detection of the person is carried out only when a body enters within a range in which an opening / closing operation part of the door can be reached by a hand. On the inside of the door, the detection of the person is carried out only when the body enters within the range of a door frame. The opening / closing mechanism opens the door when the human sensor detects the human during an unlocked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic opening and closing door.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there have been doors for houses that open and close automatically. However, there has still been a demand for improved usability.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic opening and closing door with good usability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] The present invention includes an electric lock, a human sensor, and an opening and closing mechanism. The electric lock is configured to unlock when a person having an electronic key is located within the set distance range on each of the outer and inner sides of the door, and the detection range of the electronic key is set. The human sensor is provided with at least one on each of the inside and outside of the door. On the outside of the door, In a side view human detection is performed only when a body enters within the reach of the opening and closing operation part of the door. On the inside of the door, In a side view human detection is performed only when a body enters within the range of the door frame. The opening and closing mechanism is configured to open the door when the human sensor detects in the unlocked state, and the detection range of the human sensor is set smaller than the detection range of the electronic key. By making it an automatic opening and closing door characterized by this, the above problems are solved.

Effects of the Invention

[0005] An automatic opening and closing door with good usability can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] It is a right side view showing a case where a person is outside the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment. [[ID=^]] [Figure 2] This is a right side view showing the case where a person is inside the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment, as seen from the outside. [Figure 4] This is a rear view of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment, as seen from the inside. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the internal motion sensor. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing how a person is detected on the outside of an automatic opening and closing door according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing how a person is detected inside an automatic opening and closing door according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a front view of the automatic opening and closing door of the second embodiment, as seen from the outside. [Figure 9] This is a rear view of the automatic opening and closing door of the second embodiment, as seen from the inside. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing how a person is detected on the outside of an automatic opening and closing door according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing how a person is detected inside an automatic opening and closing door according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing a method for detecting a person on the outside of an automatic opening and closing door according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] (Examples) The following explanation will use diagrams, but these diagrams are created for explanatory purposes and may intentionally omit components that are not relevant to the explanation for the sake of clarity. Also, components may be intentionally enlarged or reduced in size for explanatory purposes and are not diagrams that show an accurate scale. In the following explanation, the same reference numerals in different diagrams indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each diagram will be omitted as appropriate.

[0008] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment of the present invention will now be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 is a right side view showing a person on the outside of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is a right side view showing a person on the inside of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a front view of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment as seen from the outside, and Figure 4 is a rear view of the automatic opening and closing door of the first embodiment as seen from the inside. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inside motion sensor.

[0009] As can be seen from Figures 1 to 4, the automatic opening and closing door 1 of the first embodiment is in the form of a sliding door 10. The automatic opening and closing door 1 comprises a door frame 15, a sliding door 10 having an outer door surface 11 and an inner door surface 12 on the inside and outside, and an opening and closing mechanism (not shown) for electrically opening and closing the sliding door 10.

[0010] Similar to conventional sliding doors, the indoor and outdoor doors are equipped with large lever-type external opening / closing operation units 13 and internal opening / closing operation units 14, which are operated by a person to open and close the sliding door 10. In addition, in the first embodiment, the sliding door 10 is configured to open automatically when the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 are unlocked and the external motion sensor 31 or the internal motion sensor 32 detects that a person has entered a predetermined range. However, when the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 are locked, the door will not open even if the external motion sensor 31 or the like detects a person.

[0011] The opening and closing mechanism is electrically operated and consists of an actuator such as a motor combined with gears and a rack, as well as a driver unit that drives the motor. However, any other drive mechanism can be used, such as using pulleys and belts. In the first embodiment, the door is configured to be electrically driven both when opening and closing, but when opening, it may be electrically driven, while when closing, the sliding door 10 may be closed without electric drive by a general door closer equipped with a biasing means.

[0012] The upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 unlock and lock the sliding door 10. The upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 each have a deadbolt, a drive unit, and a drive circuit (none of which are shown). The drive unit includes an electric motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the electric motor to the deadbolt, and drives the electric motor according to a drive signal input from the drive circuit. The driving force of the electric motor is transmitted to the deadbolt via the transmission mechanism, causing the deadbolt to move to the locked or unlocked position. When the deadbolt is in the locked position, at least a part of the deadbolt is inserted into a bolt hole provided in the door frame, and in this state the sliding door 10 is held closed. In other words, the sliding door 10 is locked. When the deadbolt is in the unlocked position, the entire deadbolt is outside the bolt hole, and automatic opening and closing is performed by electric drive. Even when the opening and closing mechanism is turned off due to a power outage or the like, the sliding door 10 can be opened and closed by operating the outer opening and closing operation unit 13. As shown in Figure 3, the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 have keyholes, so they can be unlocked by inserting a key in the event of a power outage, etc., making it a one-door, two-lock system for security. From the inside, they can also be unlocked manually using the upper and lower thumbturns.

[0013] The drive circuits of the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 have a determination unit, which determines whether or not an electronic key 23 held by a person is present within a set distance 22 of the electric lock. The electronic key 23 consists of an electronic component such as an IC chip having a memory area that can store various information in a readable and writable manner, and stores ID information necessary for authentication of permission to unlock the sliding door 10 in its memory area. The electronic key 23 is capable of contactless communication (short-range wireless communication) with a reader (not shown) installed indoors or outdoors by electromagnetic waves, radio waves, magnetic field coupling, or electric field coupling, and can send and receive communication signals within the set distance 22 of the electric lock.

[0014] In the first embodiment, the detection range of the electronic key 23 is set to about 2 m from the door. As shown by the dotted circles in FIGS. 1 and 2, the detection ranges of the indoor and outdoor readers are the same, but they may be set to be different for indoor and outdoor. In the first embodiment, the process executed after the reader receives the ID information is a process in which the outer human sensor 31 or the inner human sensor 32 detects the body and performs the automatic opening and closing process, and the same process is performed indoors and outdoors. This process may be different indoors and outdoors, for example, even if the body is detected outdoors after the electronic key 23 is detected indoors, the automatic opening and closing is not allowed. This can prevent the situation where the sliding door 10 is inadvertently opened when there is a suspicious person outdoors.

[0015] The electronic key 23 may be a passive type (so-called secondary radar or RFID tag) card-shaped storage medium or the like that generates power in response to electromagnetic waves, radio waves, magnetic field coupling, or electrolytic coupling from indoor and outdoor readers, or an active type remote control key supplied with power by a built-in battery. However, in order to set the detection range of the electronic key 23 to an appropriate value such as 2 m, the passive type is preferred. This is because the detection range tends to be large in the active type, but of course, the active type may be adopted if the detection range can be suppressed within an appropriate range by an appropriate method. Further, it may be configured to communicate the ID information necessary for authentication with the readers provided indoors and outdoors using the non-contact communication function provided in a smartphone or a tablet.

[0016] After the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 are unlocked, it is the human presence sensor 3 installed indoors and outdoors that provides an opportunity to activate the opening and closing mechanism, but the installation positions and detection ranges are different indoors and outdoors. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the outer human presence sensor 31 is provided above the vicinity of the door tip when the sliding door 10 of the upper frame is closed. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the inner human presence sensor 32 is provided inside the door frame 15 at a height position slightly above the inner opening and closing operation part 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing of the inner human presence sensor 32 has left and right side walls, and the left and right detection ranges when facing the inner sensor 32 are narrowed. Specifically, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the left and right detection ranges are set to about the expected width P of the door frame 15.

[0017] (Detection Range of Human Presence Sensor in the First Embodiment) The detection range of the human presence sensor 3 in the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection range of the human presence sensor 3 when there is a person outside the automatic opening and closing door. The two-dot chain line indicates the detection range. In FIG. 6, the outer human presence sensor 31 detects that a person has entered within the range where the outer opening and closing operation part 13 can be reached. In the illustration, the hand is extended and the upper arm is also depicted as being detected, but whether the hand is extended or not is irrelevant, and it is not intended to detect the hand or the upper arm. At most, it detects and determines whether there is a person within the range where the hand can reach the outer opening and closing operation part 13 if the hand is extended.

[0018] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection range of the human presence sensor 3 when there is a person inside the automatic opening and closing door. The two-dot chain line indicates the detection range. In FIG. 7, the inner human presence sensor 32 detects that the body has entered within the range of the door frame 15.

[0019] As mentioned earlier, the detection range of the electronic key 23 is set to about 2m from the door, which is a greater distance than the detection range of the indoor and outdoor motion sensors 3. It is conceivable to automatically open the door as soon as the electronic key 23 is detected, but this would be undesirable from a security standpoint. The automatic opening and closing door of the present invention is fundamentally different in concept from automatic doors installed in office buildings that are frequently passed through by an unspecified number of people, and it is important to understand that the focus is not on allowing people to pass through the door without stopping.

[0020] Furthermore, there is a difference in the detection range distance of the indoor and outdoor motion sensors 3. It would be inconvenient if people were forced to stand in an unnatural posture, such as standing directly in front of the door, when trying to enter the building from outside. As a result of pursuing what is optimal for human behavior, the distance was set so that a person enters within reach of the outdoor opening / closing control unit 13. Anyone at this distance is standing there with the intention of opening the sliding door 10. When a person stands here, the sliding door 10 will open slowly at a speed that does not pose a danger. This specification was set because the situation is different from that of automatic doors where the rapid passage of people is prioritized. On the other hand, indoors, the distance at which a person's body enters the door frame 15 is set, but it will react if a hand is extended, and again, the configuration is designed to respond to the actions of someone with a clear intention to open the sliding door 10.

[0021] (Second Embodiment) Figure 8 is a front view of the automatic opening and closing door of the second embodiment as seen from the outside, and Figure 9 is a rear view of the automatic opening and closing door of the second embodiment as seen from the inside. The second embodiment is also a sliding door 10. However, while the opening and closing operation part of the first embodiment was a large lever, the opening and closing operation part of the second embodiment is a handle and has a simpler structure. The sliding door 10 is similar to the first embodiment in that when the upper electric lock 21 and the lower electric lock 24 are unlocked and the outside motion sensor 31 or the inside motion sensor 32 detects that a body has entered a predetermined range, the method of setting this range is different from the first embodiment, as will be described below.

[0022] (Detection range of the motion sensor in the second embodiment) The detection range of the motion sensor 3 in the second embodiment will now be described. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection range of the motion sensor 3 when a person is outside the automatic opening and closing door. The dashed line indicates the detection range. In Figure 10, the external motion sensor 31 detects that a person has entered within 1.2m of the door surface. When the opening and closing operation part is a handle, one would have to stand closer to the door to reach it, so the detection range of the motion sensor 3 is set based on the distance from the door surface.

[0023] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection range of the motion sensor 3 when a person is inside an automatic opening and closing door. The dashed line indicates the detection range. In Figure 11, the inner motion sensor 32 detects that part of a hand has entered within 0.3m of the door surface. In the first embodiment, the detection range of the inner motion sensor 32 was defined in relation to the door frame 15, but the size of the door frame 15 can be large or small. In the first embodiment, the detection range was set on the premise that the size of the door frame 15 and the optimal detection range are roughly the same, whereas in the second embodiment, the optimal detection range is set by an absolute value regardless of the size of the door frame 15.

[0024] (Third embodiment) In the third embodiment shown in Figure 12, the detection range of the motion sensor 3 when a person is outside the automatic opening and closing door is set differently from that of the second embodiment. However, the means for opening and closing the door is the same large lever as in the first embodiment. The dashed line drawn in Figure 12 indicates the detection range, and the external motion sensor 31 is configured to detect a person only when a person enters within 0.4m of the door surface. Figure 12 shows how the motion sensor 3 reacts when a hand is held within 0.4m of the door surface. In a residence that receives frequent visitors, it is common for the resident to manually unlock the door from the inside using the thumbturn when a visitor arrives. In such a situation, if the detection range is set to 1.2m from the door surface, the detection may be excessive, potentially causing problems. For example, if the upper thumbturn is unlocked but the lower thumbturn is not yet unlocked, and the motion sensor 3 detects a person and attempts to open the door, unnecessary load will be placed on the drive mechanism. For this reason, in the third embodiment, the detection range is set to within 0.4m from the door surface. Thus, it is understood that it is appropriate to set the detection range to within 1.2m or within 0.4m of the door surface, depending on the living situation of the residents. The setting can be the default setting at the time of product shipment, or it can be configured to allow the setting to be changed.

[0025] The automatic opening and closing doors of embodiments according to the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of the present invention are also included. For example, a large lever-type operating unit may be provided in the second embodiment. The significance of the second embodiment lies in the fact that the detection range of the motion sensor 3 is set as a numerical value, which is the distance from the door surface. Also, although both the first and second embodiments were in the form of sliding doors, they may also be configured as hinged doors. As explained earlier, doors should be opened slowly to avoid danger, and Japanese houses usually have outward-opening doors, so if the detection range of the outer motion sensor 31 is set to a large range, such as within 1.2m from the door surface of the door in the first and second embodiments, there will be no problem. Furthermore, the inner motion sensor 32 does not have to be provided on the door frame 15, but may be provided above the sliding door 10 in the same way as the outer motion sensor 31, as long as the detection range is set within the area inside the door frame 15. The important thing is to appropriately set the detection ranges for both the indoor and outdoor areas. As long as this condition is met, any sensor method can be used. Furthermore, the aforementioned embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies, provided there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purpose, configuration, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Automatic opening and closing door 10 Sliding doors 11. Exterior door surface 12 Inner door surface 13 External opening / closing operation part 13' Outside opening / closing operation part 14 Inner opening / closing operation part 14' Inner opening / closing operation part 15-slot 21. Upper electric lock 22 Setting distance for electric locks 23 Electronic Key 24 Lower electric lock 31. External motion sensor (motion sensor 3) 32. Indoor motion sensor (motion sensor 3)

Claims

[Claim 1] It is equipped with an electric lock, a motion sensor, and an opening / closing mechanism. The electronic lock has a detection range set for the electronic key so that it unlocks when a person with the electronic key is located within a set distance range both on the outside and inside of the door. At least one motion sensor is installed on both the inside and outside of the door. On the outside of the door, a person is detected only when a body enters within reach of the door's opening and closing mechanism when viewed from the side. On the inside of the door, a person is detected only when a body enters within the door frame when viewed from the side. The opening and closing mechanism opens the door when the motion sensor detects human presence while the door is unlocked. The detection range of the motion sensor is set to be smaller than the detection range of the electronic key. An automatic opening and closing door characterized by the following features.

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