Elevator door with sensor for determining whether to reopen door

A system for an elevator door of an elevator car, wherein a controller controls the elevator door to travel in a proximate direction when closing and travel in a distal direction when opening, the system comprising:

• a panel that forms an exterior surface of an elevator door, the panel including a front surface extending in a widthwise direction between a proximate end and an opposing distal end to form a front surface of the elevator door, the panel including a proximate end surface extending in a depthwise direction to form a proximate end surface of the elevator door,
• the proximate end surface of the panel comprising a resilient portion, and
• wherein when the elevator door is closing, the controller renders a plurality of determinations including:
• a first determination to monitor for a communication from a sensor in the door panel, wherein the communication is indicative of the resilient portion deflecting in the distal direction,
• a second determination to reopen the elevator door upon detecting deflection in the distal direction, and
• wherein the controller transmits instructions to the elevator to effect the second determination,
• wherein the sensor is entirely located in a cavity in the door panel, the cavity being defined by:
• (i) the front surface of the panel,
• (ii) the proximate end surface of the panel,
• (iii) a first return surface of the panel that is depthwise offset from the front surface of the panel and connected to the proximate end surface of the panel, and
• (iv) a first internal surface of the panel that is distally offset from the proximate end surface of the panel and connected to both the front surface of the panel and the first return surface of the panel,
• wherein:
• the resilient portion extends distally into the cavity through the proximate end surface of the panel to operationally communicate with the controller;
• the proximate end of the panel includes a proximate J-channel formed by (i) the front surface of the panel, (ii) the first internal surface of the cavity, and (iii) a distal portion of the first return surface that extends distally from the cavity;
• and
• the distal end of the panel includes a distal end J-channel formed by (i) the front surface of the panel, (ii) a distal end surface of the panel that is connected to the front surface of the panel and extends parallel to the proximate end surface of the panel, and (iii) a second return surface of the panel that is connected to the distal end surface of the panel and offset from the front surface of the panel in a same depthwise direction as the first return surface.