Patent Publication Number: US-2021180384-A1

Title: Finger pinch protection for an entrance system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to entrance systems. More specifically, present invention relates to entrance systems of the type which has a swing door being pivotally supported at a vertical door edge (also known as a secondary closing edge) by at least one hinge for allowing opening of the swing door from a closed position to an open position, as well as for allowing closing of the swing door from the open position to the closed position. This type of entrance systems furthermore has an automatic door operator comprising a motor capable of causing opening of the swing door in an automatic mode of the entrance system, wherein the entrance system also has a manual mode in which a human user may cause opening and closing of the swing door by manual force. The present invention also relates to a method of providing finger pinch protection at a hinge area of such a swing door-based entrance system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Entrance systems having automatic door operators are frequently used for providing automatic opening, and sometimes closing, of one or more swing doors in order to facilitate entrance and exit to buildings, rooms and other areas. 
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic front view of a swing door-based entrance system  1  according to the prior art. The entrance system  1  comprises a swing door  10  having a first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and an opposing second door leaf surface (not seen in  FIG. 1A ). The swing door  10  is pivotally supported at a vertical door edge  14 , also known as a secondary closing edge, by hinges  16  for allowing opening of the swing door  10  from a closed position to an open position, as well as for allowing closing of the swing door  10  from the open position to the closed position. The swing door  10  is hence supported by a door frame  11  for pivotal motion around a rotational axis  18  which is coincident with the hinges  16 . 
     The entrance system  1  also comprises a motorized automatic door operator  30  capable of causing opening of the swing door  10  in an automatic mode of the entrance system  1 . A linkage mechanism  20  connects the automatic door operator  30  to the swing door  10 . The door operator  30  may be arranged in conjunction with the door frame  11 , typically as a concealed overhead installation in or at the door frame  11 . 
     The automatic mode may be triggered by sensor equipment in the entrance system  1 , such as, for instance, a door-open push button  15 , radar or an IR motion detector. The entrance system  1  also has a manual mode in which a human user may open or close the swing door  10  by pulling or pushing a door handle  13  by manual force, i.e. without using the motorized automatic door operator  30 . 
     The automatic door operator  30  may provide automatic opening of the swing door  10  in various possible applications. Such applications includes, for instance, facilitating a disabled person&#39;s access to his or her private home, providing access through entrance ports or internal doors at healthcare buildings, office premises, industries or retail stores, providing comfort access to hotel rooms, etc. The automatic door operator  30  may also be used in fire door applications. 
     Since entrance systems with automatic door operators are typically used in public areas, user safety is crucial. Hazardous situations should be avoided so that a present, approaching or departing person or object (including but not limited to pets or articles brought by the person) will not be hit or jammed by the movable swing door. 
     One particular risk is at the hinges  16  of the movable swing door, i.e. in a narrow space at the vertical door edge  14  (secondary closing edge) near the hinges  16  that support the swing door  10  for pivotal motion. Human fingers, especially children&#39;s, are thin enough to fit in this space. If a finger is kept in this space while the swing door  10  is moved, the finger may be pinched, and thus severely damaged, between the door frame  11  and the vertical door edge  14 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1B , finger pinch protection in the prior art has been achieved by the use of mechanical protective guards  17  in the form of cover elements mounted to the frame  11  and the door  10  and covering the narrow space at the vertical door edge (secondary closing edge)  14  of the door. A mechanical protective guard  17  may, for instance but without limitation, extend between 15 mm from the bottom edge of the door  10  and 2 m above floor level. While mechanical protective guards  17  serve their purpose as such, they are disadvantageous for aesthetical reasons and sometimes also because they are difficult to install in the particular environment where the entrance system  1  is located. In addition, mechanical protective guards  17  are subjected to wear and tear, or vandalism, and their protective function may therefore degrade or even be lost over time. 
     Some attempts have been made in the prior art to monitor a swing door by using optical sensors which may abort the operation of the automatic door operator during door movement in automatic mode. A drawback with such attempts is that there will be no protection in situations where a human user opens or closes the swing door by manual force. 
     The present inventors have realized that there is room for improvements in this field. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present invention is therefore to provide one or more improvements when it comes to finger pinch protection for swing door-based entrance systems. 
     Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is an entrance system comprising a swing door having opposing first and second door leaf surfaces and being pivotally supported at a vertical door edge, also known as a secondary closing edge, by at least one hinge for allowing opening of the swing door from a closed position to an open position with the first door leaf surface being a leading surface and the second door leaf surface being a trailing surface during such opening, as well as for allowing closing of the swing door from the open position to the closed position. 
     The entrance system also has an automatic door operator comprising a motor capable of causing opening of the swing door in an automatic mode of the entrance system, wherein the entrance system also has a manual mode in which a human user may cause opening and closing of the swing door by manual force. 
     Moreover, the entrance system has a control arrangement for controlling the automatic door operator. The control arrangement comprises a controller and a plurality of sensor functions for monitoring respective zones at the entrance system for presence of a person or object. The sensor functions comprise a first sensor function for monitoring a first zone at the first door leaf surface and non-proximate to said vertical door edge, and a second sensor function for monitoring a second zone at the first door leaf surface and proximate to said vertical door edge. 
     The controller of the control arrangement is configured to stop opening of the swing door when any of the first sensor function or second sensor function detects presence in the first zone or second zone in the automatic mode during an ongoing opening of the swing door. When the second sensor function detects presence in the second zone in the manual mode, the controller is moreover configured to control the automatic door operator to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually open the swing door. 
     The provision of an entrance system with such a control arrangement will solve or at least mitigate one or more of the problems or drawbacks identified in the above, as will be clear from the following detailed description and the drawings. Finger pinch protection is obtained without the need for mechanical protective guards, and yet protection is enabled both when the entrance system operates in automatic mode, and when a human user actuates the door by manual force. 
     A second aspect of the present invention is a method of providing finger pinch protection at a hinge area of a swing door-based entrance system having a motorized automatic door operator for opening of the swing door in an automatic mode of the entrance system, the entrance system also having a manual mode in which a human user may cause opening and closing of the swing door by manual force. 
     The method comprises monitoring, by a first sensor function, for presence of a person or object in a first zone at the first door leaf surface and non-proximate to a vertical door edge. The method also comprises monitoring, by a second sensor function, for presence of a person or object in a second zone at the first door leaf surface and proximate to said vertical door edge. 
     When any of the first sensor function or second sensor function detects presence in the first zone or second zone in the automatic mode during an ongoing opening of the swing door, the method comprises controlling the automatic door operator to stop opening of the swing door. Correspondingly, when the second sensor function detects presence in the second zone in the manual mode, the method comprises controlling the automatic door operator to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually open the swing door. 
     Embodiments of the invention are defined by the appended dependent claims and are further explained in the detailed description as well as in the drawings. 
     It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof. All terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Objects, features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will appear from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic block diagram of a swing-door based entrance system generally according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic block diagram of a swing-door based entrance system generally according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic block diagram of a swing-door based entrance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic block diagram of a swing-door based entrance system according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an automatic door operator and a control arrangement for the control thereof according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic top view illustrating opening of the swing door of the entrance system from a closed position to an open position. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic top view illustrating closing of the swing door of the entrance system from the open position to the closed position. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic top view illustrating the location of different sensor functions and their respective monitoring zones in a single swing door-based entrance system according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic top view illustrating the location of different sensor functions and their respective monitoring zones in a single swing door-based entrance system according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic top view illustrating the location of different sensor functions and their respective monitoring zones in a dual swing door-based entrance system according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart diagram illustrating a method of providing finger pinch protection at a hinge area of a swing door-based entrance system generally according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements. 
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a swing-door based entrance system  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Like the prior art entrance systems previously described with reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the entrance system  1  in  FIG. 2A  comprises a swing door  10  having a first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and an opposing second door leaf surface  12 - 2  which is not seen in  FIG. 2A  but is indicated in  FIGS. 4-7 . The swing door  10  is pivotally supported at a vertical door edge  14 , often referred to as the secondary closing edge, by one or more hinges  16  for allowing opening of the swing door  10  from a closed position to an open position, as well as for allowing closing of the swing door  10  from the open position to the closed position. The swing door  10  is hence supported by a door frame  11  for pivotal motion around a rotational axis  18  which is coincident with the hinges  16 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the opening of the swing door  10  of the entrance system  1  from a closed position to an open position, the opening movement being indicated by an arrow  2 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , during such opening  2  of the swing door  10 , the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  will be a leading surface and the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  will be a trailing surface. 
       FIG. 5  correspondingly illustrates the closing of the swing door  10  of the entrance system  1  from the open position to the closed position. The closing movement is indicated by an arrow  3 . 
     The entrance system  1  in  FIG. 2A  also comprises a motorized automatic door operator  30  which is capable of causing opening of the swing door  10  in an automatic mode of the entrance system  1 . Like in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a linkage mechanism  20  connects the automatic door operator  30  to the swing door  10 . The door operator  30  may be arranged in conjunction with the door frame  11 , typically as a concealed overhead installation in or at the door frame  11 . The automatic mode may be triggered by sensor equipment in the entrance system  1 , such as, for instance, a door-open push button  15 , radar or an IR motion detector. 
     The entrance system  1  also has a manual mode in which a human user may open or close the swing door  10  by pulling or pushing a door handle  13  by manual force, i.e. without using the motorized automatic door operator  30 . 
     As explained already in the Background section, the automatic door operator  30  may provide automatic opening of the swing door  10  in various possible applications, including but not limited to facilitating a disabled person&#39;s access to his or her private home, providing access through entrance ports or internal doors at healthcare buildings, office premises, industries or retail stores, providing comfort access to hotel rooms, and fire door applications. 
     Unlike the prior art entrance system in  FIG. 1B , there are no mechanical protective guards at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  in the entrance system in  FIG. 2A . Instead, finger pinch protection is obtained by the provision of first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2 . The first sensor function S 1  is configured to monitor for presence of a person or object in a first zone PD at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and non-proximate to (i.e. at some horizontal distance from) the vertical door edge  14 . The second sensor function S 2  is configured to monitor for presence of a person or object in a second zone PDHA at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and proximate to the vertical door edge  14 . Details about these sensor functions S 1 , S 2  and their functionality and purpose will be given later in the present section of this document. The first and second zones PD, PDHA at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  are seen in more detail in  FIGS. 6-8 . 
     An embodiment of the automatic door operator  30  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The automatic door operator  30  comprises a motor  34 , typically an electrical motor, being connected to a transmission  35 . An output shaft  35   a  of the transmission  35  rotates upon activation of the motor  34  and is connected to the linkage mechanism  20 . The linkage mechanism  20  translates the motion of the output shaft  35   a  into an opening motion of the swing door  10  with respect to the door frame  11 . 
     In alternative embodiments, not shown in the drawings, the automatic door operator  30  may furthermore comprise a forced close arrangement which is adapted to provide mechanical energy via a transfer mechanism to the linkage  20 , so as to cause forced closing of the door  10  with respect to the door frame  11 , for instance in the event of a fire alarm. The forced close arrangement  36  may, for instance, comprise a helical compression spring. During opening of the door  10 , the compression spring will be tensioned by the rotation of the output shaft  35   a . During a forced closing cycle, the accumulated spring force will be transferred to the output shaft  35  by means of the transfer mechanism, for instance in the form of a pressure roller that acts on a cam curve being connected to the output shaft  35   a.    
     The automatic door operator  30  also comprises a control arrangement  20  which is configured for controlling the automatic door operator  30  to perform different functions thereof. The control arrangement  20  comprises a controller  31  and a plurality of sensor functions S 1  . . . Sn (including or consisting of the aforementioned sensor functions S 1  and S 2 ) for monitoring respective zones at the entrance system  10  for presence of a person or object. The sensor functions S 1  . . . Sn, as well as other sensor equipment in the entrance system  1  like the door-open push button  15 , are operatively connected with the controller  31  to report detection results to the controller  31 . 
     The controller  31  may be implemented in any known controller technology, including but not limited to microcontroller, processor (e.g. PLC, CPU, DSP), FPGA, ASIC or any other suitable digital and/or analog circuitry capable of performing the intended functionality. 
     The controller  31  has an associated memory  32 . The memory  32  may be implemented in any known memory technology, including but not limited to E(E)PROM, S(D)RAM or flash memory. In some embodiments, the memory  32  may be integrated with or internal to the controller  31 . The memory  32  may store program instructions for execution by the controller  31 , as well as temporary and permanent data used by the controller  31 , as can be seen at  32   a  in  FIG. 3 . 
     One or more of the functions of the automatic door operator  30  relates to the opening  2  of the swing door  10  with respect to the door frame  11 . Accordingly, the controller  31  of the control arrangement  20  has a control output  31   a  connected to the motor  34  for controlling the actuation thereof. A revolution counter  33 , such as an encoder or other angular sensor, is provided at the motor  34  to monitor the revolution of a motor shaft of the motor  34 . The revolution counter is connected to an input  31   b  of the controller  31 . The controller  31  is configured to use one or more readings of the revolution counter  33  for determining a current angular position of the swing door  10 . 
     The controller  31  of the control arrangement  20  is configured to provide finger pinch protection as follows. 
     1. When any of the first sensor function S 1  or second sensor function S 2  detects presence in the first zone PD or second zone PDHA in the automatic mode during an ongoing opening of the swing door  10 , the controller  31  will control the automatic door operator  30  to stop opening of the swing door  10  by submitting a control signal on the control output  31   a  to cease activation (rotation) of the motor  34 . Thereby, a potential pinching of fingers at the vertical door edge  14  may be prevented. In effect, therefore, the first sensor function S 1  and second sensor function S 2  together act as a combined presence detector for monitoring the area near the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  in the automatic mode. 
     2. When the second sensor function S 2  detects presence in the second zone PDHA in the manual mode, the controller  31  will control the automatic door operator  30  to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually open the swing door  10 . The controller  31  may do this by submitting a control signal on the control output  31   a  to apply a certain torque by the motor  34  to the swing door  10  via the transmission  35  and linkage mechanism  20 , thereby generating a force resistance which prevents or at least makes it substantially harder for the human user to continue the manual door opening attempt. Thereby, a potential pinching of fingers at the vertical door edge  14  may be prevented even when the entrance system  1  is in the manual mode. 
     Advantageously, the plurality of sensor functions S 1  . . . Sn of the control arrangement  20  further comprises a third sensor function S 3  being configured to monitor for presence of a person or object in a third zone PI at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  and non-proximate to (i.e. at some horizontal distance from) the vertical door edge  14 , as well as a fourth sensor function S 4  being configured to monitor for presence of a person or object in a fourth zone PIHA at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  and proximate to the vertical door edge  14 . The third and fourth zones PI, PIHA at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  are seen in  FIGS. 6-8 . 
     In such embodiments, the controller  31  of the control arrangement  20  is further configured to provide finger pinch protection as follows. 
     3. When any of the third sensor function S 3  or fourth sensor function S 4  detects presence in the third zone PI or fourth zone PIHA in the automatic mode during an ongoing closing of the swing door  10 , the controller  31  will control the automatic door operator  30  to reopen the swing door  10  by submitting a control signal on the control output  31   a  to resume activation (rotation) of the motor  34 . Thereby, a potential pinching of fingers at the vertical door edge  14  may be prevented also for persons appearing at the other side of the swing door  10 , i.e. at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2 . In effect, therefore, the third sensor function S 3  and fourth sensor function S 4  together act as a combined presence detector for monitoring the area near the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  in the automatic mode. 
     4. When the fourth sensor function S 4  detects presence in the fourth zone PIHA in the manual mode, the controller  31  will control the automatic door operator  30  to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually close the swing door  10 . The controller  31  may do this by submitting a control signal on the control output  31   a  to apply a certain torque by the motor  34  to the swing door  10  via the transmission  35  and linkage mechanism  20 , thereby generating a force resistance which prevents or at least makes it substantially harder for the human user to continue the manual door closing attempt. Thereby, a potential pinching of fingers at the vertical door edge  14  may be prevented even when the entrance system  1  is in the manual mode, also for persons appearing at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2 . 
     In one or more advantageous embodiments, the controller  31  of the control arrangement  20  is configured to prioritize the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  over the third and fourth sensor functions S 3 , S 4 , such that the controller  31  is configured to control the automatic door operator  30  to reopen the swing door  10  only on condition that none of the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  detects presence in the first zone PD or second zone PDHA in the automatic mode during the ongoing closing of the swing door  10 . In other words, the safety functionality provided by means of the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  to prevent finger pinch accidents in the first and second zones PD, PDHA (i.e. the area near the first door leaf surface  12 - 1 ) will override the functionality provided by means of the third and fourth sensor functions S 3 , S 4 . 
     In one or more advantageous embodiments, the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  are two logically different sensor functions which are implemented by a single common physical sensor device S. As can be seen in  FIG. 2B  and also in  FIG. 6 , the single common physical sensor device S is mounted to an upper part of the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  near the vertical door edge  14 . 
     Similarly, the third and fourth sensor functions S 3 , S 4  may be two logically different sensor functions implemented by a single common physical sensor device S′ being mounted to an upper part of the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  near the vertical door edge  14 . The single common physical sensor device S′ can be seen in  FIG. 6 . Using a single common physical sensor device S or S′ to implement two logically different sensor functions S 1 , S 2  or S 3 , S 4  is advantageous, since less equipment is needed. This may also be beneficial from an installation perspective and for aesthetical reasons. 
     Alternatively, as can be seen in  FIG. 2A  and also in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the first sensor function S 1  may be implemented as one physical sensor device being mounted to an upper part of the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  near the vertical door edge  14 , whereas the second sensor function S 2  may be implemented as another physical sensor device being mounted to an upper part of the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  at or near a vertical central axis  9  of the first door leaf surface  12 - 1 . See  FIG. 2A . 
     Likewise, the third sensor function S 3  may be implemented as one physical sensor device being mounted to an upper part of the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  near the vertical door edge  14 , whereas the fourth sensor function S 4  may be implemented as another physical sensor device being mounted to an upper part of the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  at or near a vertical central axis of the second door leaf surface  12 - 2 . See  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     Each of the first, second, third and fourth sensor functions S 1 -S 4  is advantageously implemented in any of the sensor technologies listed below (either included pairwise in first and second sensor devices, or each being its own sensor device):
         optical time-of-flight;   active IR;   optical triangulation;   light curtain;   stereoscopic camera;   ultrasound echo;   laser; or   microwave radar.       

     However, other sensor technologies may also be possible, as will be readily understood by a skilled person after having been enlightened by the teachings of this document. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , the principles of the present invention may be applied not only to entrance systems  1  using a single swing door  10 , but also to entrance systems using dual swing doors  10 ,  10 ′. Elements being labelled “nn” for the right-hand swing door  10 ′ in  FIG. 8 , where “nn” is 16, S 1 , PD, S 2 , PDHA, etc, may be essentially identical to elements being labelled “nn” for the left-hand swing door  10  in  FIG. 8 —which in turn may be essentially identical to elements having the same reference numerals in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a method  50  of providing finger pinch protection at a hinge area of a swing door-based entrance system  1  having a motorized automatic door operator  30  for opening  2  of the swing door  10  in an automatic mode of the entrance system  1 , wherein the entrance system  1  also has a manual mode in which a human user may cause opening and closing of the swing door  10  by manual force. 
     The method  50  comprises a first step  52  of monitoring, by the first sensor function S 1 , for presence of a person or object in the first zone PD at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and non-proximate to the vertical door edge  14 . The method  50  also comprises a second step  54  of monitoring, by the second sensor function S 2 , for presence of a person or object in the second zone PDHA at the first door leaf surface  12 - 1  and proximate to the vertical door edge  14 . 
     The method  50  further comprises a third step  56 , when any of the first sensor function S 1  or second sensor function S 2  detects presence in the first zone PD or second zone PDHA in the automatic mode during an ongoing opening of the swing door  10 , of controlling the automatic door operator  30  to stop opening of the swing door  10 . The method  50  moreover comprises a fourth step  58 , when the second sensor function S 2  detects presence in the second zone PDHA in the manual mode, of controlling the automatic door operator  30  to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually open the swing door  10 . 
     In one or more advantageous embodiments, the method of providing finger pinch protection further comprises monitoring, by the third sensor function S 3 , for presence of a person or object in the third zone PI at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  and non-proximate to the vertical door edge  14 , as well as monitoring, by the fourth sensor function S 4 , for presence of a person or object in the fourth zone PIHA at the second door leaf surface  12 - 2  and proximate to the vertical door edge  14 . When any of the third sensor function S 3  or fourth sensor function S 4  detects presence in the third zone PI or fourth zone PIHA in the automatic mode during an ongoing closing of the swing door  10 , the method may additionally involve controlling the automatic door operator  30  to reopen the swing door  10 . Correspondingly, when the fourth sensor function S 4  detects presence in the fourth zone PIHA in the manual mode, the method may additionally involve controlling the automatic door operator  30  to counteract an attempt by a human user to manually close the swing door  10 . 
     As has already been described above for some embodiments of the entrance system  1 , the method may also involve prioritizing the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  over the third and fourth sensor functions S 3 , S 4 , such that the automatic door operator  30  is controlled to reopen the swing door  10  only on condition that none of the first and second sensor functions S 1 , S 2  detects presence in the first zone PD or second zone PDHA in the automatic mode during the ongoing closing of the swing door  10 . 
     The invention has been described above in detail with reference to embodiments thereof. However, as is readily understood by those skilled in the art, other embodiments are equally possible within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.