EP0156698A1 - Safety device for an automatically closing sliding door - Google Patents

Abstract

The retractable sheath (62) surrounds the male part (42, 46) in the active position. The male part is mounted so that it can slide by a limited amount in the direction of movement of the door leaves (10, 12). The retractable sheath is itself mounted so that it can oscillate in a vertical plane with respect to the said male part. Application to doors of lifts or transport vehicles, or to any other doors whose failure to function properly must be detected whatever the obstacle and however thin it may be. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to an improvement to the safety device for a sliding door with automatic closure according to patent FR-2,449,183.

Patent FR-2 449 183 describes a safety device, in particular for a sliding door with automatic closure, comprising a motor for moving the movable leaf or leaves with limited closing force and a non-closing detector for signaling the presence of a obstacle in the joint plane of the uprights which bear edge over the whole or almost all of the height respectively a male part and a female conjugate part interlocking at the time of closing, said parts being dimensioned so that the presence even an obstacle of small thickness and flexibility, hinders this nesting and closing. The protruding male part is sheathed by a retractable sheath which is biased in the active position by a spring having a force less than the limited closing force and which carries flexible edges cooperating with conjugate flexible edges fixed edge to the upright carrying the female part.

On the other hand the male part rigidly secured to the amount of the leaf has bores extending in the direction of movement of the leaf and receiving each sliding a guide column and support for the retractable sheath.

Such a device makes it possible to satisfy the detection function with all the types of obstacle desired and for all the positions of an obstacle on the edge of the door, but does not allow sufficient availability to be achieved. Indeed, the guide columns of the retractable sheath having a small diameter compared to the sliding stroke, it may occur, at the level of said columns, a jamming after the detection of an obstacle, or a seizing up after a certain time of use, thus preventing the normal sliding of the male part. In addition, the risks of jamming can also occur, if the door leaf undergoes an arrow by lateral stress due to the thrust of the travelers, these drawbacks being able to cause false detections. To avoid this, the guide columns should be given a diameter incompatible with the thickness of the door.

The object of the present invention is therefore to remedy these drawbacks and to allow the production of a device guaranteeing the safety of the user and the availability of the installation.

The safety device according to the invention is of the type previously described and characterized in that the retractable sheath, sheathing in the active position the male part, mounted with limited sliding in the direction of movement of the leaves is also mounted oscillating in a vertical plane by compared to said male part.

Other advantageous features of the safety device according to the invention are set out in the subclaims.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale suivant BB de la figure 2, des bords de deux portes coulissantes équipés d'un dispositif de sécurité selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue en coupe verticale suivant AA de la figure 1.
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe transversale suivant CC de la figure 2.
• La figure 4 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 montrant les portes en position fermée.
• La figure 5 est une vue montrant les portes en position de détection de présence d'un obstacle.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting example and shown in the appended drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view along BB of Figure 2, the edges of two sliding doors equipped with a safety device according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view along AA of Figure 1.
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along CC of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the doors in the closed position.
• FIG. 5 is a view showing the doors in the position for detecting the presence of an obstacle.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a safety device according to the invention is of the type described in patent FR-A-2 449 183 and comprises a displacement motor (not shown) of the leaf or leaves 10, 12 of a sliding door with limited closing force and preferably a non-closing detector (not shown and described in document FR-A-2 449 183) for signaling the presence of an obstacle 84 in the joint plane of the uprights 14, 16 coming to said closed position on contact. The uprights 14, 16 have edge over the whole or almost all of the height respectively a male part 42 and a female conjugate part 26 fitting into said closed position, the presence of an obstacle hindering this fitting and closing.

As shown, and also described in patent FR-A-2 449 183, the upright 16 provided with the male part 42 and / or the upright 14 provided with the female part 26 is associated with a sheath 62 retractable sheathing in the active projection position the associated part 42, 26 and capable of retracting to release said associated part under the action of said limited closing force and allow said interlocking.

It should be noted that the drive can be of the friction wheel or screw and nut type and with automatic uncoupling during excessive closing resistance. The jamming force of an obstacle, in particular of a person caught between the leaves 10, 12 is thus limited to a non-dangerous value.

The sheath 62 is also mounted with limited sliding in the direction of movement of the associated leaf 10, 12 and is preferably biased in the active sheathing position by a spring 55 preferably having a force less than the limited closing force.

According to the present invention, the retractable sheath 62, sheathing in the active position the male part 42, 46, mounted with limited sliding in the direction of movement of the leaves 10, 12 is also mounted oscillating in a vertical plane relative to the male part.

The structure of the security device according to the present invention will now be described in more detail.

Thus, on the edge 18 of the upright 14 of the left leaf 10 is fixed a preferably metallic part 22 having two parallel flanges 24 which confine a U-shaped housing 26 open opposite the leaf 12. The part 22 laterally comprises two vertical notches 27, 29 in each of which is embedded a seal 28, 30, made of a hollow elastic profiled material. The front edge of these seals 28, 30 has the shape of a female vee and projects from the edge of the U 26. It is easy to see that the part assembly 22, seals 28, 30 constitutes a flexible edge of the leaf 10 having a female U-shaped socket 26.

On the edge 36 of the upright 16 is fixed by screws 37 a part 38 in a T shape. The sole 40 of the T 38 is contiguous to the edge 36 and the leg constitutes a blade 42 extending in the median plane of the door 10 , 12 and the front part of which enters the closed position of the door between the flanges 24. The blade 42 ends in a nozzle 46 made of a hollow elastomeric material in the form of a wedge.

In FIG. 2, it can be seen that the blade 42 comprises on the one hand two grooves 47, 49 passing through the sole 40 and parallel to the direction of translation of the leaf and on the other hand two guide slots 51, 53, also parallel to the leaf direction of translation.

The sheath 62 consists of two identical flanges 68, 70 and frames the blade 42. The front part of the flanges 68, 70 laterally has a vertical notch 71, 73 in each of which is embedded a seal 74, 76, made of an elastic profiled material hollow. The front edge of these seals 74, 76 has the shape of a male vee to form, with the seals 28, 30 of the leaf 10, in the nested position a baffle seal.

The two flanges 68, 70 of the sleeve 62 are secured to each other by screws 77 which are screwed on the one hand on two sockets 81, 83 each mounted with wide sliding in one of the grooves 47, 49 (Figures 2 and 3) and on the other hand on two axes 87, 89 each mounted to slide in one of the openings 51, 53 (Figures 1 and 2). In each groove 47, 49 is mounted a spring 55 which penetrates into the sockets 81, 83 and fits into the upright 16.

Given the mounting of the sleeve 62 on axes 87, 89 sliding in slots 51, 53, said sleeve can oscillate in a vertical plane which makes it possible to avoid the risks of jamming during its movement. In addition, one of the lights may have more play. The lateral guidance of the sheath 62 is done using plates 91 (Figure 1) located two by two on each side, at the top and bottom of the upright 16, or possibly of the part 38 made of material with good friction characteristic.

The sheath 62 can be pushed back against the springs 55 in a retracted position in which the axes 87, 89 sliding in the slots 51, 53, come into abutment on the upright 16, the seals 74, 76 coming substantially in line with the blade 42. In the retracted position, the rear edge of the flanges 68, 70 comes at the level of the recess of the leaf 12, for example of delimitation of a window, to preserve the aesthetics of the door.

The operation of the safety device in the absence of an obstacle is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In the open position, the sheath 62 is held projecting by the springs 55 and it hides the blade 42 and the mechanism . During the closing operation of the door by displacement of one or two leaves 10, 12, the sheath 62 moves at the same time as the leaf 12 and the seals 74, 76 penetrate into the seals 28, 30 (FIG. 1 ). The door is only closed in appearance and in this intermediate position, the detector signals non-closing. During the continued movement of movement of the leaves 10, 12, the sleeve 62, pushed back by the seals 28, 30, slides towards the retracted position against the springs 55 whose force is less than the motor force, and the blade 42 penetrates between the flanges 24 of the U 26. During this translation, the sheath 62 is guided by the plates 91. The closed position, represented in FIG. 4, is characterized by a predetermined spacing of the leaves 10, 12 and is indicated by the door closing detector authorizing the vehicle to start.

In the case of closing the door on a flexible and thin obstacle 84 (FIG. 5), the latter is pinched between the seals 28-30; 74, 76. A continued movement for closing the leaves 10, 12 causes the blade 42 to advance relative to the sheath 62 and the end piece 46 to come into abutment on the obstacle 84 with a reduced force equal to the difference between the driving force and the compression force of the springs 55. The end piece 46 is crushed, and can therefore no longer penetrate between the flanges 24 of the U 26, which is favorable for detection. There is therefore a wedge effect and an increasing reaction to the closing force. The complete closing of the door is prevented. The V-shaped shapes are such that the male-female contact occurs according to a generator located on the outer lip on either side of the door. Thus, the flexible object to be detected is then pinched by the lips in two areas as far apart as possible.

After a predetermined period of non-closing of the door, a timer causes the reopening and a new closing attempt in a well known manner.

The detection of a flexible obstacle can be obtained in two distinct ways, either by swelling of the end piece 46 which bears on the flanges 24, or by simple retention of the end piece 46 and therefore of the leaf 12, by creating a balance thrust forces on the obstacle stretched between the seals 28, 74; 30, 76.

For a rigid obstacle, operation and detection are absolutely identical.

In the case where the obstacle is pinched outside the median plane of the door, the sheath 62 can oscillate in a vertical plane due to the play existing in the lumen 53, thus avoiding jamming or seizing at the level of the guide of said sheath . In addition, this arrangement avoids the risk of jamming if the door leaf undergoes an arrow by lateral stress, this arrow can reach the value of the relief of the plates 91 relative to the upright 18, without disturbing the system, which makes it possible to increase the availability and reliability of the safety device.

The invention is of course in no way limited to the mode of implementation more particularly described and shown in the accompanying drawings, but it extends quite the contrary to any variant, in particular to that in which the retractable sheath would be associated with the female part or the one with two retractable sleeves.

Claims (8)

1. Safety device in particular for a sliding door with automatic closing, comprising a motor for moving the movable leaf or leaves (10, 12) with limited closing force and a non-closing detector for signaling the presence of an obstacle (84) in the joint plane of the uprights (14, 16) coming to said closed position on contact; said uprights (14, 16) bearing edge over the whole or almost all of the height respectively a male part (42) and a female conjugate part (26) fitting into said closed position, the presence of an obstacle hindering this interlocking and closing; a retractable sheath (62) sheathing in the active projecting position the associated upright part (26, 42) and being capable of retracting to release the associated part under the action of said limited closing force and allowing said interlocking; and said sheath (62) being mounted with limited sliding in the direction of displacement of the associated leaf (10, 12), characterized in that the retractable sheath (62), sheathing in the active position the male part (42, 46) , mounted with limited sliding in the direction of movement of the leaves (10, 12) is also mounted oscillating in a vertical plane with respect to said male. 2. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the male part (42, 46) is constituted by a part (38) T-shaped rigidly secured to the amount (16) of the leaf (12) and has a part of the grooves (47, 49) passing through the sole (40) of the part (38) and on the other hand of the guide lights (51, 53); said grooves and slots being parallel to the direction of translation of the leaf. 3. Safety device according to claim 2, characterized in that the slots (51, 53) each slide to receive an axis (87, 89) for supporting the two flanges (68, 70) framing the male part (42, 46) and constituting the retractable sheath (62) . 4. Safety device according to claim 3, characterized in that the grooves (47, 49) each receive wide sliding a sleeve (81, 83) integral with the two flanges (68, 70) constituting the retractable sheath (62) . 5. Safety device according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that in each groove (47, 49) is mounted a spring (55) biasing in the active position the sleeve (62); said spring penetrating into the socket (81, 83) and fitting into the upright (16) of the leaf (12). 6. Safety device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral guide of the sheath (62) is produced using plates (91) located two by two on each side, at the top and at bottom of the upright (16) or the part (38). 7. Safety device according to claim 2, characterized in that the metal part mixes (38) has a tip (46) in a hollow and flexible elastomeric material in the form of a wedge. 8. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the retractable sheath (62) comprises elastic seals (74, 76) in the form of a male vee which cooperate with elastic seals (28, 30) in the form of a vee female fixed on a metal part (22) integral with the leaf (10).

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