Product Brief

Electrodyn announces new elevator door restrictor technology

Current door restrictors on the market today do not perform this task reliably and do not meet code requirements (which forbid the use of batteries to maintain bolt position).

Electrodyn Systems announces the release of ElectroLock™, the first elevator door restrictor to use RFID sensors to determine car proximity to landings. Other door restrictor systems, whether mechanical or photoelectric, fall short of ASME requirements mandating that elevator car doors be secured when in transit between landing zones because they can fail in an unsafe position. The need for battery maintenance, target adjustment, and mechanical repair also make current door restrictors problematic for users.

To develop ElectroLock, Electrodyn’s CEO and SVP of engineering James Marinelli combined several new technologies: a car top control unit with an RFID reader, hoistway door-landing area electrosensors™, and a door locking mechanism called magnalatch™.
Key features of ElectroLock include a bistable solenoid that drives the door locking bolt, and the robust performance of RFID technology.

“Our solenoid uses a permanent magnet to retain its state,” Marinelli explains. “In the event of a power-loss condition, the solenoid stays in position, holding the locking bolt open or closed, as appropriate.” This eliminates the need for batteries, which are not code compliant. The electrosensors signal the control unit’s RFID reader with an angular displacement up to six inches, a level of tolerance unmatched by other door restrictors.

“Our solenoid is activated with pulsed—not continuous—current, greatly increasing its longevity,” Marinelli says. ElectroLock also provides the door operator a signal when the magnalatch is in the unlocked position, a solution that prevents the door motor from starting when the locking bolt is engaged.

The result is a solid and reliable door restrictor that functions accurately regardless of dust, grime or smoke. With its fail-safe design, ElectroLock is fully compliant with ASME A17.1 and its steel-encased components are engineered for year after year of cost-effective, trouble-free use. “This is what a door restrictor should be,” says Marinelli. “It protects passengers, owners, and even the elevator itself. You just set it and forget it.”