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US 6,396,010 B1Granted
Safety edge switch for a movable door
AssigneeMatamatic, Inc.
InventorsJerry Woodward, Barry Kovac, Terry Kovac
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety edge switch for a motorized door includes a longitudinally extending base, a resiliently deformable material, an electrode array of a plurality of spaced apart conductive segments, and an array of bridging members. The switch is normally in the closed configuration. Contact with an object in the path of the moving door causes one or more bridging members to break contact with the corresponding electrode segments, thereby forming an open circuit and sending a signal to the door control system to stop or reverse the movement of the door.
Claims20
A safety edge switch for a movable door which comprises:
- a) a longitudinally extending elongated base;
- b) a first resiliently deformable material;
- c) an electrode array which includes a plurality of segments of a first conductive material, each segment being separated from neighboring segments by respective gaps, the electrode array being in a fixed position relative to the base;
- and,
- d) a second array which includes a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive bridging members, the second array being movable in response to deformation of the first resiliently deformable material from a closed circuit first position wherein the bridging members are each in contact with respective segments of the first conductive material so as to bridge a respective gap between said respective segments, and a second position wherein at least one of the bridging members is not in contact with at least one respective segment of the electrode array, wherein in the closed circuit first position the segments of the electrode array are electrically connected in series so as to form an unbroken electrical path, and in the second position the electrical path is broken by at least one unbridged gap so as to form an open circuit.
2 more elements
A safety edge switch for a movable door which comprises:
- a) a longitudinally extending elongated base;
- b) a first resiliently deformable polymeric foam material;
- c) a second resiliently deformable polymeric foam material
- d) an electrode array which includes a plurality of segments of a first conductive material, each segment being separated from neighboring segments by respective gaps, the electrode array being in a fixed position relative to the base;
- e) a second array which includes a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive bridging members, the second array being movable in response to deformation of the first resiliently deformable material from a closed circuit first position wherein the bridging members are each in contact with respective segments of the first conductive material so as to bridge a respective gap between said respective segments, and a second position wherein at least one of the bridging members is not in contact with at least one respective segment of the electrode array, wherein in the closed circuit first position the segments of the electrode array are electrically connected in series so as to form an unbroken electrical path, and in the second position the electrical path is broken by at least one unbridged gap so as to form an open circuit, said second array being resiliently biased to the first position by the second resiliently deformable polymeric foam material;
- and,
- f) a flexible cover attached to the base.
4 more elements
In combination:
- a) a movable door;
- b) an electric motor operatively connected to the door;
- c) an electric control system for controlling movement of the door;
- and
- d) a safety edge switch attached to an edge of the door and operatively associated with the electric control system which includes:
- i) a longitudinally extending elongated base;
- ii) a first resiliently deformable material;
- iii) an electrode array which includes a plurality of segments of a first conductive material, each segment being separated from neighboring segments by respective gaps, the electrode array being in a fixed position relative to the base;
- and,
- iv) a second array which includes a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive bridging members, the second array being movable in response to deformation of the first resiliently deformable material from a closed circuit first position wherein the bridging members are each in contact with respective segments of the first conductive material so as to bridge a respective gap between said respective segments, and a second position wherein at least one of the bridging members is not in contact with at least one respective segment of the electrode array, wherein in the closed circuit first position the segments of the electrode array are electrically connected in series so as to form an unbroken electrical path, and in the second position the electrical path is broken by at least one unbridged gap so as to form an open circuit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.