Motor Control System for Barrier Thrust Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for controlling the movement of barriers, such as gates and doors, require expensive electronics and sensors to detect both the direction and extent of manual movements, leading to high costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses a reversible motor coupled with a detection circuit to measure the direction of current generated by the motor during manual movement, combined with a Hall-effect sensor to measure displacement, eliminating the need for expensive bi-directional movement detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If expensive bi-directional movement detection electronics and sensors are used to detect both direction and extent of manual movements, then the control system can provide adequate thrust balancing commands, but the cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the direction detection function from the motor control system and implements it separately through a dedicated detection circuit that monitors current direction in the motor windings. This separates the complex bi-directional detection requirement into a simpler, standalone function that can be implemented with minimal additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor itself serves dual purposes: it acts as both the actuator for barrier movement and as the sensor for detecting manual movement direction. By monitoring the current generated in the motor windings during manual movement, the system uses the motor's own electrical characteristics to determine movement direction, eliminating the need for separate expensive direction-detection sensors.
2Reliability
If irreversible ratio motors with mechanical brake action are used to prevent manual movement, then the barrier cannot be moved manually, but the system loses flexibility and ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the motor's electrical characteristics based on detected movement conditions. When manual movement is detected, the control circuit modifies the motor's electrical properties to allow controlled movement in the desired direction while preventing reverse movement, creating a dynamic rather than static irreversibility mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical parameters of the motor control system based on detected movement conditions. By modifying the current characteristics and control signals sent to the motor according to the detected movement direction and magnitude, the system achieves flexible control that allows manual operation when needed while maintaining irreversibility when required.
3Device complexity
If simple motor control without direction detection is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot provide adequate counterthrust to oppose external thrust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the detection circuit continuously monitors the current direction in the motor windings during manual movement and feeds this information back to the control circuit. This feedback enables the control system to automatically adjust the motor's electrical output to provide appropriate counterthrust, maintaining reliability while keeping the overall system simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces hardware requirements and costs by using existing motor control devices and sensors to detect manual movement direction and extent, allowing for a simple and effective irreversible barrier control.
Implementation Method 1
a circuit for detecting the direction of the current generated by the motor when its shaft is put into rotation by effect of a displacement of the barrier when the motor is not driven
Implementation Method 2
a sensor which either is or can be coupled to the shaft of the motor or to a member which either is or can be connected to said shaft or to the barrier to detect a quantity related to the induced rotation on the non-driven motor shaft
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system for controlling the movement of a movable barrier, such as a gate, bar, door and the like, the system comprising: a motor with a shaft which either is or can be coupled to said barrier through a reversible kinematic mechanism so that the rotation of the motor in one direction corresponds to a displacement of the barrier in one direction and that the rotation of the motor in the opposite direction corresponds to a displacement of the barrier in the opposite direction to control the opening/closing of said barrier by inducing the rotation of the motor either in one direction or in the opposite direction; a control device of said motor; an input for receiving a movement command of the barrier; a control unit in communication with said input and said control device, said control unit being configured to read the barrier movement commands from the input and correspondingly send actuation signals to said control device of the motor, a sensor which either is or can be coupled to the shaft of the motor or to a member which either is or can be connected to said shaft or to the barrier to detect a quantity related to the induced rotation on the stationary motor shaft; a circuit for detecting the direction of the current generated by the motor when its shaft is put into rotation by effect of a displacement of the barrier when the motor is not driven, the control unit interfacing with said detection circuit and said sensor to send actuation commands to the motor so that said motor generates a counterthrust which opposes the rotation imposed by the displacement of the barrier according to the entity of displacement detected by the sensor and to the direction of rotation of the motor shaft as detected by the detection circuit.