Door Actuation Sensor Link for Energy Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing door operating systems face challenges in balancing energy efficiency with high safety requirements, particularly in ensuring that door monitoring sensors are in an active state before initiating door movements while minimizing power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A direct communication link is established between the door movement sensor and the door monitoring sensor, allowing the movement sensor to trigger the monitoring sensor to switch from an energy-saving mode to an active mode, ensuring safety and reducing energy consumption by using sensors like passive infrared or radar devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the door monitoring sensor operates continuously in active mode to ensure safety, then safety reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The door monitoring sensor dynamically switches between active mode and energy-saving mode based on system state. The sensor operates in active mode when a door movement is detected or during door movement, and transitions to energy-saving mode during idle periods, thereby adapting its operational state to actual safety requirements while reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The door movement sensor triggers the door monitoring sensor to switch to active mode in advance before the door actually moves. This preliminary activation ensures the monitoring sensor is ready to detect obstacles or objects in the door's path before movement begins, maintaining safety without requiring continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the door monitoring sensor is activated before door movement to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but response time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A door movement sensor acts as an intermediary between the control unit and the door monitoring sensor. When the door movement sensor detects that a door movement is intended, it triggers the door monitoring sensor to activate. This intermediary mechanism enables timely activation of the monitoring sensor without requiring continuous operation, thus maintaining safety while optimizing response time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Use of energy by moving object

If a direct communication link is established between door movement sensor and door monitoring sensor, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication functionality is merged into the existing sensor nodes. The door movement sensor and door monitoring sensor exchange signals directly through their existing communication interfaces, eliminating the need for separate communication hardware or complex routing through the control unit. This merging approach enables energy-efficient direct communication while minimizing additional device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2322748B1Method for saving energy in a door actuation assembly and door actuation assembly
Publication Date: 2012.01.18 PEPPERL & FUCHS GMBH
  • EP2322748B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The method involves providing a drive unit (40) for mechanical driving of a door panel (10) of an automatic door (14). A door motion sensor (60) is connected directly with a door monitoring sensor (50) by a communication link (56). An independent claim is also included for a door operating system with a triangulation sensor.