IT202100018641A1 - Multiple barrier system. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the invention entitled:

"Multiple barrier system?

The present invention relates to a multiple-barrier or multi-barrier system, and that is? a system comprising a plurality? of barriers, even of different types, placed on gates and intended to be managed in a coordinated manner on the basis of predefined and modifiable needs also according to changed needs or implementations of the originally installed system.

A typical example of a system with multiple barriers of different types intended to be managed independently but in a coordinated way can be constituted by an opening closed by a gate with two doors, in which for reasons of space one? door? of type articulated while the? other ? sliding type, and these must be able to be operated simultaneously or individually according to requirements.

Another example can be made up of an opening equipped with lifting and lowering bollards and one or two bars facing the bollards. In this case, the gate management can? request the lifting of the bar only when the bollards are lowered and can? otherwise? request that the bollards are kept raised in certain time slots and can be lowered in other time slots only on command and only simultaneously with the raising of one or both bars.

Another example can? be made up of a plurality? of automatic doors in a shopping centre, which depending on their location and the time slot can be kept always open or always closed or can be opened on command.

Given the variety of types of barriers, the variety? of actuators associated with them, the variety? of control units that manage the actuators and the control and safety systems associated with the barriers and also different from each other, as well as? the variety of radio control systems in general, make the installation of a system of different barriers and the coordinated management of these extremely difficult and uncertain and up to now has led to obtaining unsatisfactory results.

While in fact a gate with a single barrier pu? be easily managed by a single actuator equipped with a control unit incorporated in the same actuator, the problem becomes more? complex if the same gate has two barriers, each with its own actuator, managed by a single control unit. In this case, the ecu pu? be installed separately from each of the two actuators and be connected to them both to power the motors and to receive the relative signals associated with their operation from the encoders associated with each of these.

In the case of the control unit positioned at a certain distance from the actuators, the length of the connection can? create problems both in the power line for the voltage drop that can? occur especially in the starting phase of the electric motor, and cio? in the phase of greatest electrical current absorption, and in the control line, in which the power signals, generally of the PWM type, can disturb the control signals and give rise to interference and even dangerous malfunctions.

In the case of a system with two actuators and with a control unit incorporated in one of these, it necessarily can? be far from? other, with all the problems already? highlighted.

If then the number and type of actuators increases, the drawbacks indicated above multiply and give rise to great difficulties? both installation and management of a multiple barrier.

Purpose of the invention? to create a plant capable of managing a plurality? of barriers of different types, of different locations, of different modalities? and timing of intervention, and there? at the same time eliminating the above limits present in traditional systems.

In particular, the purpose of the invention? to create a system with multiple barriers, in which the installation is more? simple and requires the laying of a limited number of cables.

Another purpose of the invention? to create a multiple barrier system that eliminates the risk of interference between power signals and control signals.

Another purpose of the invention? to create a system with multiple barriers practically without limits in the typology of the individual barriers.

Another purpose of the invention? to create a multiple barrier system that can be expanded over time in a simple way.

Another purpose of the invention? to create a system with multiple barriers with practically no limits in the distance between the various barriers.

Another purpose of the invention? to create a system with multiple barriers, in which in addition to the management of the individual barriers can be managed a plurality? of signaling and safety devices associated with the barriers themselves.

All these purposes are achieved, according to the invention, with a multiple barrier system as defined in claim 1.

The present invention is hereinafter further explained in some of its preferred practical embodiments shown for purely exemplifying and non-limiting purposes with reference to the attached drawing illustrating a general diagram of the plant according to the invention.

As can be seen from the drawing, the system according to the invention comprises a plurality of barriers, even of different types, and a? unit? control unit 2 aimed at the logical management of the system input and output signals and in particular of the signaling devices (flashing lights, acoustic signallers, sirens, etc.), of the safety devices (photocells, pneumatic edges, etc.) and control devices (push-buttons, limit switches, absolute encoders, etc.) and other types of organs usually envisaged for the correct and coordinated operation of all the barriers in the system. because all these components of the system absorb a limited power, the unit? command center 2, which ? connected with a power source 4 pu? also be equipped with a low voltage power supply.

Furthermore, from the unit? control unit 2 also a bus 6 departs and that is? a channel that using a serial protocol communicates with the unit? peripherals 8 each comprising at least one actuator 10 of a barrier and a unit? management room 12.

Each actuator 10, which preferably ? consisting of a rotary or linear electric motor, controlled by an inverter and associated with an encoder 14, ? mechanically coupled to the respective barrier to be moved and ? powered by a power module belonging to the respective unit? peripheral 8.

Each unit? peripheral 8 ? connected via the bus 6 with the? unit? central command 2 to execute the instructions received and to return to the unit? control unit itself the operating data of the respective barrier.

The power module of each unit? peripheral 8 can? be powered by the same unit? power plant 2 via bus 6 or from an external energy source 16. Furthermore, each power module 8 has standard hardware, which can? be used by the actuator 10 of practically any barrier but which is managed by specific software linked to the type of automation which controls that barrier.

Finally, the power module of each unit? peripheral 8 ? equipped with inputs and outputs for the respective actuator, for example for integrated limit switches, for absolute position encoders, for any signals that the automation has been released, for a possible electric release, for position signals from the actuator itself, etc.

Under normal operating conditions, the unit? central 2 ? able to manage each barrier independently, to send it the appropriate commands and to receive feedback from it regarding both its normal operation and the various correct operation and/or alarm signals.

If the installation of a new barrier is required, the relative unit? peripheral 8 is connected to the bus 6, and its power module is connected to the external power source 16 or to the same unit? central 2, if in this ? a power module is provided.

because the software of? unit? central 2 ? programmed to manage the different types of barrier, once the type of barrier just installed has been recognised, it is automatically inserted into the system and ? ready to work.

Thanks to this particular configuration, the system according to the invention is much more? advantageous than traditional systems and in particular:

- allows you to replace with a?unit? central 2 a plurality? of units associated with individual barriers and having different types (high voltage or low voltage motors, brushless motors, brushed DC motors, etc.) with all the problems that may arise in the case of their coordinated management,

- does not require more? the installation of cables of the encoder of great length, with a notable improvement of the quality? of management of the single barriers, - eliminates all the problems related to the distances of the single barriers from the control unit, as the serial communication can? reach and overcome distances of more than a hundred meters without being affected or altered by signal interference,

- reduces the connections of each barrier to the unit? central 2 to a very limited number of conductors, which pu? also be made up of only two cables, through which the command signals pass and under certain conditions it can? also pass the power supply for the unit? peripherals 8.

- allows you to control a large number of barriers, even if of different types, separately and independently of each other,

- makes simplified management and maintenance of a single control unit possible,

- can? automatically recognize the power modules of the individual units? peripherals 8 which, once programmed, can automatically recognize them,

- allows you to have connection cables of the power modules of the individual units? peripherals 8 with the respective sources of supply 16 very short, with what? strongly limiting the emissions of disturbances and voltage drops, - allows having the encoders integrated in the respective power modules or in the immediate vicinity of these, with practical elimination of external disturbances and obtaining high reliability? and precision.

The present invention ? been illustrated and described in some of its preferred embodiments but it is understood that executive variants can be made to them in practice without however departing from the scope of protection of the present patent for industrial invention.

Claims (9)

1. Multiple barrier system comprising a plurality? of barriers, a plurality? of actuators associated with said barriers and means for managing said actuators and control and/or signaling and/or safety devices associated with said barriers and said actuators, characterized in that it comprises a unit? control unit (2), configured to manage said barriers and the related control and/or signaling and/or safety devices individually and in a coordinated manner, a plurality of units peripherals (8), each provided with a unit? management room (12) of at least one respective barrier, of an actuator associated with it and of the relative control and/or signaling and/or safety devices, and a bus (6) for connecting said unit? central (2) with these units? peripherals. 2. Plant according to claim 1 characterized in that said unit? central (2) ? equipped with a power module for supplying the actuators (10) of at least part of said units? peripherals (8). 3. System according to one or more? of the previous claims characterized by the fact that said unit? central (2) ? equipped with a low-voltage power module for powering at least part of said control and/or signaling and/or safety devices via said bus (6). 4. Plant according to one or more? of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that at least part of said units? peripherals (8) are associated with respective external power sources (16). 5. Plant according to one or more? of the previous claims characterized by the fact that each unit? peripheral (8) comprises at least one electric actuator of the rotary type controlled by an inverter and associated with an encoder (14). 6. Plant according to one or more? of the previous claims characterized by the fact that each unit? peripheral (8) comprises at least one electric actuator of the linear type controlled by an inverter and associated with an encoder (14). 7. Plant according to one or more? of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that said bus (6) ? configured to transmit control signals, signaling and safety between said unit? central (2) and these units? peripherals (8) 8. Plant according to one or more? of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that said bus (6) ? configured to transmit control signals, signaling and safety between said unit? central (2) and these units? peripherals (8), as well as? the electricity supply from this unit? central (2) to at least part of these units? peripherals (8). 9. Multiple barrier system according to one or more? of the preceding claims and substantially as illustrated and described.