Methods and systems for automatically determining level of unclosed door in chute applications
AssigneeElcon A.G.
InventorsFrank J. Garrone, Jr., Roberto Michelassi, Patrick Barrett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for automatically determining the level of an open chute door in connection with a chute system in a building structure. The position of the open door on the chute is automatically determined, without requiring any configuration at each door on the chute, utilizing a daisy chain wire signal connection and a chute busy wire (enable signal) signal connection. Pulses or other signals are counted at a base station to determine the level of the open door.
Claims20
A system for automatically determining a level of an open chute door, comprising:
- a chute system having a first end and a second end;
- a plurality of chute doors between the first end and the second end of the chute system, the plurality of chute doors each defining a chute door level;
- a base station at the first end of the chute system;
- a terminator at the second end of the chute system;
- an electrical circuit connecting the plurality of doors between the base station and the terminator, the electrical circuit consisting of a first wire being a daisy chain wire and a second wire being a chute busy wire;
- a plurality of door circuits connected to the first wire and the second wire, wherein each chute door of the plurality of chute doors has one of the plurality of door circuits;
- wherein the electrical circuit is adapted to communicate a signal from the door circuits to the base station, wherein the base station is adapted to automatically determine the level of an open chute door.
A chute system, comprising:
- a base station at a first end of the chute system;
- a terminator at a second end of the chute system;
- a plurality of chute doors each located at a respective chute door level between the base station and the terminator;
- a circuit for automatically determining the level of an open chute door consisting of a first wire connected between the base station and the terminator, wherein the first wire is a daisy chain wire and a second wire connected between the base station and the terminator, wherein the second wire is a chute busy wire;
- a plurality of door circuits connected to the first wire and the second wire, wherein each chute door of the plurality of chute doors has one of the plurality of door circuits;
- wherein the plurality of door circuits have circuitry to selectively generate pulses onto the daisy chain wire and wherein the base station has pulse circuitry and a processor to count the pulses and determine the level of the open chute door based upon the number of pulses counted.
A system for automatically determining a level of an open chute door, comprising:
- a chute system having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of chute doors between the first end and the second end, wherein each of the plurality of chute doors defines a chute door level;
- door circuitry associated with each chute door, wherein the door circuitry consists of pulse circuitry, force circuitry and a switch;
- a terminator at one end of the chute system;
- a base station at another end of the chute system, the base station and the terminator being connected via a circuit for automatically determining the level of an open chute door, the circuit for automatically determining the level of an open chute door consisting of a first daisy chain wire and a second chute busy wire, and wherein the door circuitry of each chute door is electronically connected to the daisy chain wire and a chute busy wire;
- wherein the pulse circuitry is adapted to generate a signal at an open chute door and at each chute door between the open chute door and the base station;
- wherein the daisy chain wire communicates the signals generated by the pulse circuitry to the base station;
- and
- wherein the base station has pulse circuitry and a processor adapted to count the generated signals to determine the level of an open chute door in a chute system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.