Automatic Sliding Door With Two Closed Positions for Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic sliding doors face challenges in meeting higher safety and physical requirements while minimizing technical disadvantages and costs, particularly in terms of energy consumption and wear, without compromising ease of use.

Innovation Solution

The sliding door system incorporates two closed positions: a first position for normal operation, ensuring opacity, watertightness, and airtightness, and a second position for safety requirements, achieved through overlapping profiles or spring-loaded mechanisms that engage for enhanced security, with additional seals and locking mechanisms activated between these positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the door leaves are moved to a fully closed position with overlapping profiles for safety requirements, then safety and security are improved, but energy consumption and wear increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety requirementVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The closed position is segmented into two distinct states: a first closed position for normal operation and a second closed position for safety requirements. This segmentation allows the system to achieve safety when needed while minimizing energy consumption during normal operation by not maintaining the fully engaged second position continuously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The door leaves are designed to dynamically transition between two closed positions based on operational requirements. The movable closing edges can be positioned at different engagement levels, allowing the system to adapt its sealing and locking characteristics dynamically rather than maintaining a fixed fully-closed position at all times.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the door leaves are moved to a fully closed position with overlapping profiles for safety requirements, then safety and security are improved, but wear on the door system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety requirementVSAvoidwear on door system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The closing action is segmented into two distinct phases: a first closing phase for normal operation that engages basic seals, and a second closing phase for safety requirements that engages overlapping profiles. By segmenting the closing action, the system reduces the frequency and duration of high-wear engagement, extending the service life of the door system while maintaining safety capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The movable closing edges dynamically adjust their engagement level based on operational needs. During normal operation, the edges remain in the first closed position with minimal engagement, reducing wear. When safety requirements are triggered, the edges move to the second closed position with full engagement, providing enhanced security only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Use of energy by moving object

If the door leaves are moved to a first closed position for normal operation, then energy consumption is reduced, but safety requirements may not be fully met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidsafety requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The first closed position is designed to preliminarily satisfy operational requirements by providing opacity, watertightness, and airtightness. This preliminary sealing is sufficient for normal operation, allowing the system to maintain lower energy consumption while still providing adequate protection. The second closed position with overlapping profiles serves as a backup for enhanced safety requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The door system dynamically transitions between two closed positions based on the level of safety required. The first closed position handles normal operational conditions with reduced energy consumption, while the second closed position is activated when higher safety requirements are triggered, ensuring that safety is maintained at an appropriate level for each operational context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If the door leaves are moved to the second closed position with overlapping profiles, then security and sealing are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The same door leaves and closing edges serve multiple functions: they provide basic sealing in the first closed position and enhanced security sealing in the second closed position. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate door systems for different security levels, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the capability for enhanced security when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The movable closing edges provide dynamic adaptability, allowing the same physical structure to achieve different levels of security and sealing based on its position. This dynamic characteristic eliminates the need for multiple fixed door configurations, simplifying the overall device design while providing variable security levels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

This design allows for reduced energy consumption and wear by maintaining a secure, airtight, and opaque first position during normal use, transitioning to a fully engaged, locked second position upon safety triggers, thus enhancing safety and reducing operational costs.

Implementation Method 1

spring-loaded profiles, which compress when the door moves into the second closed position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring compression: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3130735B2Automatic sliding door with a drive unit and movable door wings
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 GU AUTOMATIC
  • EP3130735B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3130735B2 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP3130735B2 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The invention relates to an automatic sliding door (1) with a drive unit and movable door leaves (2, 3) which can be moved into the open and closed positions, wherein the drive unit has at least one electric drive motor with gearbox and an endless toothed belt to which the individual door leaves (2) and (3) are attached via carriers on one run of the endless toothed belt, and wherein the drive unit has a control unit by means of which the door leaves (2, 3) can be moved into the closed position or into the open position.According to the invention, the movable door leaves (2) and (3) assume two different closed positions (4, 5), wherein a first closed position (4) is intended for normal driving operation and wherein a second closed position (5) is intended for a safety requirement, and the door leaves (2, 3) are movable from the first closed position (4) to the second closed position (5), so that the door leaves (2) and (3) in the second closed position (5) assume a positive locking connection (8) in particular with the closing edges (6) and (7) that move against each other.