Automated Roller Door Operator with Smart Home Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional door opening and closing devices are bulky, expensive, and require substantial installation modifications, making them unsuitable for retrofitting and aesthetically unappealing, while lacking mechanisms for reliable voice-activated control in smart home environments.
Innovation Solution
An automated door closing apparatus with a motorized roller affixed to the bottom of a door, integrated into a smart home system, featuring a microcontroller, inductive charging, and a door stop, allowing for voice-activated operation and easy installation on existing doors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional door operators are used, then door opening and closing function is achieved, but the device becomes bulky and requires substantial structural modification
Solution Approach 1:
The door operator is divided into separate functional modules: a motor unit housed in a motor housing, a roller assembly with independently adjustable rollers, and a control system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier installation and maintenance while reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The door operator is designed with universal mounting capabilities that accommodate various door types and configurations. The adjustable roller spacing and universal motor housing design allow the same device to be installed on different door widths and styles without requiring custom modifications, thereby improving ease of installation while maintaining functional versatility.
2Force
If high torque low rpm motors are used, then sufficient door movement force is achieved, but the motor size becomes large and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The door operator utilizes a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator system that generates high force through fluid pressure rather than relying solely on large electric motors. This allows sufficient torque to be achieved with a more compact actuator design, reducing the overall motor volume while maintaining the necessary force for door movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs variable speed control and adjustable torque parameters through electronic control. By dynamically adjusting motor parameters based on door position and load conditions, the system achieves high torque when needed while allowing the motor to operate at smaller size under normal conditions, effectively resolving the contradiction between force and volume.
3Ease of manufacture
If motor housing is mounted on door lintel, then installation space is provided, but aesthetic appeal decreases and structural modification is required
Solution Approach 1:
The motor housing is designed to be nested within or behind the door structure itself, such as within the door edge or behind the door panel. This nesting approach conceals the motor housing from view, maintaining aesthetic appeal while providing adequate space for the motor components and eliminating the need for separate lintel mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing is repositioned from a traditional lintel-mounted configuration to a side-mounted or recessed position within the door plane. This dimensional repositioning allows the motor to be concealed within the door's thickness or along the door edge, preserving aesthetic appearance while maintaining installation feasibility through alternative spatial arrangements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable, voice-controlled door opening and closing with minimal installation requirements, enhancing the aesthetic appeal and functionality of smart home environments without the need for extensive structural modifications.
Implementation Method 1
An inductive charger may be included on the outside of the automated roller case and a complementary inductive charging source plate aligned with an flush against the inductive charger on the outside of the automated roller case when the door is in the closed position.
Data Source
AI summary
A door operator having an automatic roller closes and opens a door attached to a doorjamb by a door hinge. The roller is actuated by a motor and housed within a protective roller casing affixed to the bottom of a door. The door operator may be integrated with a smart home, thereby allowing a user to close and open a door by voice command. The door operator may be retrofitted to existing doors. A door may also be modified such that only a magnet holds the door closed and a closed position such that the smart home door closing apparatus may be used to open a door. The roller may translate between an extended position engaging the floor below a door and a retracted position above the floor, either inside or adjacent to the door itself.