Rail Vehicle Door Button with Contactless Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing entry systems for rail vehicles lack efficient and hygienic methods for door opening, particularly in scenarios where manual operation is desired or contactless operation is beneficial, such as for passengers with disabilities or those carrying items.
Innovation Solution
A button unit with both a contact sensor and a contactless sensor, allowing door opening through touch or proximity detection, using a combination of sensor technologies like cameras, time-of-flight systems, and object recognition to provide opening signals without physical contact, enabling intuitive and hygienic operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a manual push-button operation is used for door opening, then the door can be opened reliably, but the operation process is slower and less hygienic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical push-button operation with optical sensor detection. The sensor device detects the passenger's approach or hand gesture optically, triggering door opening without mechanical contact. This substitution achieves both faster door opening (improving productivity) and contactless operation (improving hygiene).
2Productivity
If automatic door opening is implemented, then the door opening process is accelerated, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device automatically detects passengers and triggers door opening without requiring manual activation. The system serves itself by using optical detection to identify when opening is needed, eliminating the need for complex control logic while maintaining automatic operation. This keeps the system relatively simple while achieving fast door opening.
3Ease of operation
If contactless sensor detection is added to the push-button unit, then hygienic operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the manual push-button function with contactless sensor detection into a single integrated unit. The sensor device and push-button share the same housing and control logic, allowing either method to trigger door opening. This merging achieves contactless operation (improving hygiene) while keeping device complexity manageable through integration rather than separate systems.
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
The solution accelerates door opening cycles, provides hygienic advantages, and allows for convenient operation by passengers without the need for physical contact, reducing energy consumption and operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the contactless sensor device is configured to detect the presence of at least one body part of a person or an object in the area of the actuating surface without physical contact
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A push-button unit (100) for an entry system (200) with at least one door (210) for a rail vehicle (205) comprises an actuating surface (105), a first sensor device (110), and a non-contact sensor device (115). The first sensor device (110) is coupled to the actuating surface (105) and is configured to provide an opening signal (120) for opening the door (210) of the rail vehicle (205) when the actuating surface (105) is touched. The non-contact sensor device (115) is configured to detect the presence of at least one body part of a person (215) or an object in the area of the actuating surface (105) without contact, and, if present, to provide a further opening signal (125) for opening the door (210) of the rail vehicle (205).