(54) ANTI-ENTRAPMENT SYSTEMS FOR
PREVENTING OBJECTS FROM BEING
ENTRAPPED BY TRANSLATING DEVICES
(75) Inventors: David W. Shank, Hersey, MI (US);
Randall L. Perrin, Cadillac, MI (US);
John M. Washeleski, Cadillac, MI
(US)
(73) Assignee: Nartron Corporation, Reed City, MI (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 201 days.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
(21) Appl. No.: 10/927,916
(22) Filed: Aug. 27, 2004
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2005/0092097 Al May 5, 2005
Related U.S. Application Data
(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/262,446, filed on Sep. 30, 2002, now Pat. No. 6,782,759, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/901, 883, filed on Jul. 9, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,499,359.
An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device includes a capacitance sensor positioned adjacent to the translating device. The sensor has first and second conductors separated by a separation distance, a compressible dielectric element interposed between the conductors, and a non-conductive elastomer outer jacket encasing the conductors and the dielectric element. The sensor having a capacitance dependent upon the separation distance between the conductors. The capacitance changes in response to the separation distance changing as a result of the dielectric element compressing in response to a first object touching the outer jacket, and in response to a second conductive object coming into proximity with at least one of the conductors. A controller controls the translating device as a function of the capacitance in order to prevent the translating device from entrapping either object.
62 Claims, 17 Drawing Sheets
