Patent ID: 7765955
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: E05B,E06B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for allowing entry to and egress from a dwelling of an animal, the apparatus comprising: a housing suitable for mounting to a door, window or wall of the dwelling; a pet door mounted to said housing; a latch cooperative with said pet door, said latch movable between an engaged position and disengaged position, said pet door suitable for allowing passage of the animal therethrough when said latch is in said disengaged position, said pet door suitable for blocking passage of the animal therethrough when said latch is in said engaged position; an animal detector interconnected to said housing, said animal detector suitable for detecting a presence of an animal seeking passage through said pet door; a controller cooperative with said animal detector, said controller suitable for selecting a passage condition, said passage condition being one of entry but not egress, of egress but not entry, of both entry and egress and of neither entry nor egress; and a latch actuator cooperative with said latch and coupled to said controller, said latch actuator suitable for causing said latch to move between said engaged position and said disengaged position depending on said passage condition, wherein said animal detector comprises a pair of reed switches each having a closed state and an open state and operable by a magnet carried by said pet door, said pet door having a central median position, said pet door when engaged by said latch being movable through a first minor distance from the central median position in a direction into the dwelling by the animal pushing said pet door from outside, an arrangement of said pair of reed switches and said magnet being such that the open state or closed state of a first of said pair of reed switches is changed by movement of said pet door through the first minor distance, said pet door when engaged by said latch being movable through a second minor distance from the central median position in a direction out of the dwelling by the animal pushing said pet door from inside, the arrangement of said pair of reed switches and said magnet being such that the open state or closed state of a second of said pair of reed switches is changed by movement of said pet door through the second minor distance, wherein said pair of reed switches are connected in series across a source of electric potential by a first reed of a first one of said pair of reed switches and being connected to a first reed of a second one of said pair of reed switches in a circuit providing first and second inputs on first and second lines, said first line being connected to a second reed of said first one of said pair of reed switches, said second line being connected both to said first reed of said first one of said pair of reed switches and to said first reed of said second one of said pair of reed switches, a detection of the potential of the second reed of the second one of said pair of reed switches on said first line indicating that both of said pair of reed switches are closed and said pet door is in the median central position, a detection of the potential of the second reed of the first one of said pair of reed switches on the first line and the potential of one of the second reeds of the pair of reed switches on the second line indicating that said pet door has moved, the direction being determined by which of the potentials is present on said second line, a detection of the potential of the second reed of the first one of said pair of two reed switches on the first line and a potential other than those of the second reeds on the second line indicating that said pet door is open.