Door Actuator Damping Element Cap Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door operator assemblies are not cost-effective, compact, or efficient in damping the movement of door leaves, and they often require visible guide rails and operators when the door is closed.
Innovation Solution
A door actuator arrangement with a guide rail having form-fitting guide channels, a cap to fix the damping element in place, and a linearly movable impact element that transmits force to the damping element, ensuring effective damping without bulging or buckling, and allowing integration into the door frame for a sleek design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the damping element is made longer and narrower to accommodate narrow guide rails, then the guide rail can be integrated into the door frame for a compact design, but the damping element bulges and buckles when the moving element runs onto it
Solution Approach 1:
The cap extends beyond the guide rail in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, creating additional spatial dimension for damping element support. This allows the damping element to be properly contained and supported without requiring a wider guide rail, thus resolving the contradiction between compact guide rail width and damping element stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap acts as an intermediary component between the guide rail and the damping element. It provides additional support surfaces (first and second extension surfaces) that prevent the damping element from bulging and buckling, enabling the use of narrower guide rails while maintaining damping element stability.
2Area of stationary object
If the guide rail is made narrow to integrate into the door frame, then the design becomes compact and aesthetically pleasing, but the damping element requires more length which causes it to deform
Solution Approach 1:
The cap protrudes beyond the guide rail in the perpendicular direction, utilizing additional spatial dimension to provide support surfaces for the damping element. This allows the guide rail to remain narrow for compact installation while the cap compensates for the reduced lateral support, preventing damping element deformation under load.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of the cap (made of stable sheet metal or plastic) and the damping element (cellular Vulkollan) creates a composite damping structure. The rigid cap provides structural support while the cellular damping material provides energy absorption, together enabling the system to handle heavy door leaves within a narrow guide rail.
3Force
If the damping element is enlarged to handle heavy door leaves, then the damping capacity increases, but the guide rail width must increase making integration into the door frame difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cap extends in the direction perpendicular to the guide rail's mounting surface, providing additional support area for the damping element without increasing the guide rail's width. This allows the damping element to be sufficiently large for handling heavy door leaves while the guide rail remains narrow enough for frame integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping support function is segmented between the guide rail and the cap. The guide rail provides the mounting structure and linear guidance, while the cap provides the additional support surfaces needed for the damping element. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling high damping capacity within compact guide rail dimensions.
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
The solution provides effective damping of the door leaf movement while maintaining a compact and aesthetically pleasing design, capable of handling heavy door leaves by using a cellular Vulkollan damping element and a cap to prevent deformation, ensuring the damping element remains within the guide rail.
Implementation Method 1
The damping element consists in particular of cellular Vulkollan
Implementation Method 2
A damping element loosely accommodated in the cavity between the cap and the guide rail is used as a buffer. In the end position of the door leaf, the force is transmitted from the movement element to the damping element via this impact element, so that the movement of the movement element is damped.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The door actuator assembly has a guide rail (8) with a guide channel, where the guide rail extends in longitudinal direction (16). A movement element (7) is linearly movably guided in the guide channel and a door actuator is provided with an output shaft. A lever is rotatably connected with the output shaft and with the movement element. A cap (18) is stationarily fixed relative to the guide rail and is guided in the guide channel. A damping element is loosely accommodated in the cavity between the cap and the guide rail. A blow element (24) between the damping element and the movement element is linearly movably guided in the guide channel. The damping element comprises an elastomer block.