Bollard Door Sag Prevention via Offset Bearings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large bollard-mounted doors tend to sag due to their weight, leading to premature door and bollard failure, and are vulnerable to weathering and abuse, with existing solutions increasing material and maintenance costs without effectively protecting the bollard from environmental elements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a bollard door system with multiple low-friction bearings that allow the door to move in both vertical and horizontal planes, rotating on the bollard with maintenance-free bearings, and incorporating a design that covers the bollard to protect it from the elements, using materials like steel, composite materials, or phelonic plastic for durability and low friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If large bollard-mounted doors are used, then the door provides adequate coverage and security, but the door sags due to its weight leading to premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into multiple door panels that rotate independently on separate bollards, with each panel supported by its own bearing system. This segmentation distributes the weight load across multiple bearing points rather than concentrating it on a single support structure, preventing sagging while maintaining full door coverage area.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional mounting methods are used, then the installation is simple, but the bollard is exposed to weathering and abuse
Solution Approach 1:
The door panels are designed to enclose and cover the bollards when in the closed position, creating a protective shell that shields the bollard from weathering and abuse. The bearing assembly is nested within the door panel structure, allowing the door to rotate while maintaining coverage of the support elements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If support structures are added to prevent sagging, then the door maintains its position, but the material cost and points of failure increase
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical support structures such as braces, struts, or additional mounting hardware are replaced with low-friction bearing assemblies that allow the door panel to rotate smoothly on the bollard. This substitution eliminates the need for complex support structures while maintaining door stability and reducing the number of potential failure points.
4Strength
If heavy-duty bollards are used to support large doors, then the door can be supported, but the bollard remains vulnerable to weathering
Solution Approach 1:
The door panel is designed to enclose the bollard, creating a protective covering that shields the bollard from environmental damage while the bollard maintains its load-bearing capacity to support the heavy door panel through the bearing assembly.
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 solution prevents sagging and extends the operational life of large bollard doors and bollards by maintaining their position and protecting them from environmental damage, reducing material and maintenance costs while ensuring smooth operation.
Implementation Method 1
multiple low-friction bearings that allow the door to move in both vertical and horizontal planes, rotating on the bollard with maintenance-free bearings
Data Source
AI summary
A bollard that supports a door with a top bearing, middle bearing and bottom bearing with the middle and bottom bearing offset from the bollard.