Continuous Gasket Door Sealing for Liquid-Tight Swing Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door systems fail to provide a liquid-tight seal when closed due to the presence of hinges and the need for the door to swing open and closed, allowing liquids to pass through crevices, especially in double doors.
Innovation Solution
A continuous gasket system is installed onto the door panel to create a liquid-tight seal between the door panel and threshold, and between the door panel and frame, up to the designed water protection level, using a single or multiple gasket pieces connected to one another.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional door systems with hinges are used to allow door panels to swing open and closed, then ease of operation is improved, but liquid-tight sealing deteriorates because hinges create gaps and spacing between door panels and frame
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible gasket system that can deform and conform to the door panel and frame surfaces. The gasket includes a resilient member that compresses against the frame to maintain a liquid-tight seal even when the door panel moves between open and closed positions, accommodating the hinge mechanism while preventing liquid passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket system is designed to be dynamic rather than rigid. The resilient member can compress and expand as the door panel moves, maintaining continuous contact with the frame to prevent liquid leakage while allowing the door to swing freely on its hinges.
2Ease of operation
If door panels are spaced away from the frame due to hinges to enable movement, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision of the seal deteriorates because consistent sealing contact cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket system changes the physical parameters of the sealing interface by introducing a compliant material that can adapt to variations in spacing. The resilient member's compression set and elasticity allow it to maintain sealing pressure despite changes in the distance between the door panel and frame during movement.
3Ease of operation
If door panels are spaced away from the floor to prevent scraping during movement, then ease of operation is improved, but liquid-tight sealing at the bottom deteriorates because gaps remain between the door and threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket extends to the bottom of the door panel where it contacts the threshold. The flexible resilient member can deform to bridge the gap created by the spacing between the door panel and threshold, maintaining a liquid-tight seal at the bottom edge while allowing the door to swing without scraping the floor.
4Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate gasket pieces are used to seal door panels, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates because crevices and gaps remain between separate gasket segments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate gasket pieces into a single continuous gasket system that extends around the entire perimeter of the door panel. This continuous configuration eliminates the crevices and gaps that would exist between separate gasket segments, providing a reliable liquid-tight seal while still allowing for practical installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A pedestrian door system includes a door frame comprising a frame strike side, a frame hinge side, and a frame sealing surface that extends up each of the frame strike and frame hinge sides. A threshold extends between the frame strike and frame hinge sides and includes a base secured to a floor surface and a threshold sealing surface. A door panel includes a panel bottom side, a panel strike side, a panel hinge side, and a continuous gasket extending continuously along the panel bottom side and up each of the panel strike and panel hinge sides. A door hinge couples the panel hinge side to the frame hinge side and facilitates hinged movement of the door panel between an open position and a closed position in which the gasket seals against the frame sealing surface and the threshold sealing surface in a liquid-tight manner.