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US 9,121,217 B1Granted
Intelligent door restraint
OwnerSteven M. Hoffberginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling a door, comprising the steps of storing energy during a manual opening of a door, sensing an object within a doorway, selectively applying a force derived from the stored energy, to close the door, based on the sensing of an object in the doorway. The closure is preferably controlled by an electronic control. A door closing device comprising an energy storage device for storing energy during door opening and releasing the stored energy to subsequently close the door, a damping system for damping a closure of the door, a sensor for detecting an object within a doorway, having an output, a controllable device for selectively restraining the energy storage device from closing the door, and a control system for controlling the controllable device based on the output.
Claims20
A door control apparatus, comprising:
- (a) electronic control circuitry having a timer, the electronic control circuitry being configured to:
- (i) receive an indication of a detection event from a non-contact sensor configured to be mountable near a top of a door frame for the door, and
- (ii) produce a door hold open signal dependent on the timer and the received indication of a detection event;
- (b) a door closer having an energy storage element which supplies a closing force for a door wherein the closing force is supplied by a preceding opening force;
- and
- (c) a hold-open comprising an electrical solenoid device operating in response to the door hold open signal to selectively displace an armature to brake movement of an element that moves in conjunction with the door, wherein the hold open does not provide a braking force greater than the closing force, the hold-open being configured to:
- (i) selectively retain a door in an arbitrary open position by activation of the electrical solenoid device which does not act directly against the closing force, in response to a first state of the door hold open signal, and
- (ii) selectively release the door to passively close in a fail-safe manner using previously stored energy derived from a prior manual door opening, in response to at least one of:
- (1) a second state of the door hold open signal constituting a release signal, and (2) a failure condition associated with a loss of power to the electronic control circuitry.
6 more elements
A door control method, comprising:
- providing:
- electronic control circuitry having a timer, configured to receive an indication of a detection event from a non-contact sensor configured to be mountable near a top of a door frame for the door, and to produce a door hold open signal dependent on the timer and the received indication of a detection event;
- a door closer having an energy storage element which supplies a closing force for the door closer dependent on previously stored energy from a preceding door opening force;
- a hold-open comprising an electrical solenoid device operating in response to the door hold open signal to selectively displace an armature to brake movement of an element that moves in conjunction with the door, wherein the hold open does not provide a braking force greater than the closing force, the hold-open being configured to:
- (i) selectively retain a door in an arbitrary open position based on an activation of the electrical solenoid device, the electrical solenoid device being configured to selectively hold the door closer at the arbitrary open position without providing a counterforce to the closing force, in response to a first state of the door hold open signal, and
- (ii) selectively release the door to passively close in a fail-safe manner using the previously stored energy derived from the preceding door opening force, in response to at least one of:
- (1) a second state of the door hold open signal constituting a release signal, and (2) a failure condition associated with a loss of power to the electronic control circuitry;
- receiving an indication of a detection event from a sensor and producing the door hold open signal dependent on a status of the timer and the received indication of the detection event;
- and
- selectively controlling the electrical solenoid device in response to the door hold open signal.
7 more elements
A door control apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a non-contact sensor configured to be mountable near a top of a door frame for a door:
- (c) a microprocessor, within the housing, configured to:
- (i) receive a sensor input from the non-contact sensor corresponding to an occupancy state in at least a path of travel through a doorway;
- (ii) implement a timer;
- and
- (iii) produce a door hold open signal in dependence on both the sensor input and the timer,
- (d) a door closer, within the housing, comprising a hold-open solenoid responsive to the door hold open signal to selectively displace an armature to brake movement of an element that moves in conjunction with the door, wherein the hold open does not provide a braking force greater than the closing force, the hold-open being, and a door closure spring, configured to supply a door closure force dependent on a force derived from a prior door opening, configured to:
- (i) selectively retain a door in an arbitrary open position against a spring force of the door closure spring dependent on a first state of the solenoid, wherein the solenoid does not supply a force which counters the door closure force, and
- (ii) selectively release the door to passively close in a fail-safe manner using the spring force derived from the prior door opening, dependent on at least one of (1) a second state of the solenoid constituting a release signal, wherein the solenoid is deactivated, and (2) a failure condition associated with a loss of power to the electronic control circuitry,
- wherein the microprocessor controls the state of the door hold open signal to maintain the door closer in an open position when the sensor detects occupancy in the path of travel through the doorway and the timer is unexpired, and releases the door closer to assume a close position when the sensor does not detect occupancy in the path of travel through the doorway or the timer expires.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.