Grain Bin Entry Control With Dual Doors and Remote Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grain bins lack an effective mechanism to control and limit entry to authorized personnel, posing safety hazards due to unauthorized and non-compliant access.
Innovation Solution
A frame-mounted entry control device with an outer and inner door, equipped with a microprocessor-controlled actuatable lock, transceiver, and notification module, which allows remote management of access through an electronic device, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and deactivating process flow equipment during entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solid door is used to cover the grain bin opening, then the opening can be closed and entry can be controlled, but once the door is opened entry becomes uninhibited and unauthorized access cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into an outer door for closing the opening and an inner door for preventing entry, with each door serving a specific security function. The lock mechanism is also segmented into a stationary lock body and a movable bolt that can be independently controlled
Solution Approach 2:
An electronic control system acts as an intermediary between the manager and the physical door, using a transceiver to receive access codes and a microprocessor to control the lock mechanism. This intermediary enables remote authorization without requiring physical presence at the door
2Reliability
If manual locking mechanisms are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but unauthorized entry cannot be effectively prevented and safety compliance cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The manual locking system is replaced with an electronically controlled lock mechanism. The microprocessor-based control system substitutes for manual operation, using electrical signals from the transceiver to automatically engage or disengage the lock based on authorized access codes
Solution Approach 2:
The lock mechanism is designed to automatically engage when the inner door is closed and can be automatically disengaged upon receiving an authorized access code. The system serves itself by monitoring door position and autonomously controlling the lock state without requiring constant manual intervention
Data Source
AI summary
A grain bin entry control device for limiting grain bin entry to permitted users includes a frame, to which an outer door and an inner door are hingedly attached. The frame is mountable to a grain bin so that the frame is positioned over an opening in the grain bin. The outer door selectively closes the opening, while the inner door selectively prevents of entry into the grain bin through the opening. An entry controller, which is attached to the frame, comprises a microprocessor, to which are operationally engaged a power module, a transceiver, and an actuatable lock. The actuatable lock is selectively engageable to the inner door. The transceiver receives an access approval signal from an electronic device of a manager, enabling the microprocessor to selectively actuate the actuatable lock to unlock the inner door, thereby allowing entry of a user into the grain bin.