Ceiling-Mounted Access Control Gates for Flexible Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access control gates, such as turnstiles, have a large footprint and are inflexible, requiring installation in early construction phases and making relocation difficult, which is problematic in spaces like high-rise buildings where lobby space is valuable.
Innovation Solution
An access control gate with poles attached to the ceiling, allowing for flexible positioning and movement between operative and storage positions, facilitated by quick-release means and ceiling-mounted power supply, enabling easy relocation and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access control gates are attached to the floor using steel tubes, then the gates are securely fixed, but the construction work is obstructed and relocation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional floor-attachment approach by attaching access control gates to the ceiling instead. This allows the gates to be suspended from above rather than embedded in the floor, enabling easy relocation by simply detaching from ceiling fixtures and reattaching elsewhere, while maintaining secure fixation through ceiling-mounted steel structures
Solution Approach 2:
The gate system is divided into separable components: ceiling mounting fixtures, suspension mechanisms, and gate units. This segmentation allows individual gates to be independently installed, moved, or removed without affecting the overall system or requiring floor modifications, thus improving relocation flexibility while maintaining secure attachment
2Reliability
If access control gates are installed early in construction, then the gates are securely integrated, but the gates cannot be easily moved later
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from static floor embedding to dynamic ceiling suspension with detachable connections. The ceiling-mounted steel structures with provisioned holes allow gates to be dynamically repositioned between different locations while maintaining stable integration at each position through secure suspension mechanisms
3Strength
If steel tubes are embedded in floor concrete, then strong attachment is achieved, but construction obstacles are created and renovation is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of embedding tubes in the floor during concrete pouring, the system inverts the approach by mounting steel attachment fixtures to the ceiling structure. This allows strong attachment points to be created without interfering with floor construction or creating obstacles during building processes and future renovations
4Reliability
If floor-based cabling is used, then power supply is established, but installation complexity increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system inverts the traditional floor-based cabling approach by suspending power cables from the ceiling to the gate units. This ceiling-suspended cabling method reduces installation complexity by avoiding floor cutting and embedding, while maintaining reliable power supply through direct ceiling-to-gate connections
Data Source
AI summary
The access control gate (1) for controlling flow of people in a building comprises at least one pole (2a, 2b) having a first end and a second end, and access control means (3a, 3b) configured to control access through the access control gate (1). The first end of the pole (2a, 2b) is configured to be attached to the ceiling (4) of the building and the access control gate (1) is configured to be moveable between at least a first position and a second position, wherein at least one of said positions is an operative position and the other position is an operative position or a storage position.