Door Closer Control Ducts for Air Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door closers often have air trapped in the pressure chamber, which can lead to a larger failure angle due to the presence of air, affecting the controlled closure mechanism.
Innovation Solution
The door closer design includes control ducts that connect to the regulating valve, allowing hydraulic fluid and air to be transferred from the pressure chamber to the unpressurized chamber during the closing process, ensuring the pressure chamber remains air-free by evacuating air through tangentially opening control channels and a network of channels connected to the regulating valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air is trapped in the pressure chamber during production, then the door closer can be assembled quickly without special evacuation procedures, but the failure angle increases and closure control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure chamber is segmented into multiple regions through control ducts that open at different locations (upper area and lower area of the pressure chamber). This segmentation allows air to be evacuated from different zones independently, ensuring complete air removal while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control ducts are pre-configured in the housing during manufacturing, opening into specific areas of the pressure chamber. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the door closer is assembled and operated, air can be automatically evacuated without requiring additional complex evacuation procedures or adjustments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the door closer is designed to work in both floor spring and top spring configurations, then its versatility increases, but ensuring air-free operation in both positions requires additional control channels
Solution Approach 1:
The control duct system is designed with both upper and lower openings into the pressure chamber, allowing it to function effectively in both floor spring and top spring installations. The same control duct network serves dual purposes: evacuating air in upright position and evacuating air in inverted position, making the door closer universal without requiring position-specific configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control ducts are asymmetrically positioned with one opening into the upper area and another into the lower area of the pressure chamber. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that regardless of whether the door closer is installed upright or inverted, there is always a control duct opening into the area where air will accumulate, enabling effective air evacuation in both configurations.
3Productivity
If control channels open tangentially into the pressure chamber, then air evacuation efficiency improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements for channel positioning increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control ducts are designed to open tangentially into the pressure chamber, creating a dynamic flow pattern that follows the rotation direction. This tangential opening allows hydraulic fluid and air to be swept along the chamber wall, improving evacuation efficiency. The design accepts a range of positioning tolerances while maintaining effective air removal through the rotational dynamics of the system.
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 effectively removes trapped air from the pressure chamber, preventing it from interfering with the door's closing mechanism and maintaining optimal function regardless of the door closer's installation position, ensuring a consistent and controlled closure.
Implementation Method 1
during closing of the door leaf, hydraulic fluid can be transferred from the pressure chamber into the pressureless chamber via at least one regulating valve
Implementation Method 2
there is also a spring which is compressed during a rotary movement of the output shaft when the wing is opened manually or automatically by a hydraulic pump, for example, by moving the piston and serves as an energy store for the automatic closing of the wing
Implementation Method 3
The air initially trapped in the pressure chamber is transported with the hydraulic fluid or oil into the unpressurized chamber when the door closer is actuated after assembly has been completed and before commissioning via the respective control channel opening into the upper area of the pressure chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A door closer (10) comprises an axle, a piston (14) connected to the axle via a gear mechanism and guided in a housing (12), and at least one spring cooperating with the piston (14). A pressure chamber (16) and a pressureless chamber (18) are provided on opposite sides of the piston (14). During each closing operation, hydraulic fluid can be transferred from the pressure chamber (16) to the pressureless chamber (18) via at least one regulating valve (24). The housing (12) is provided with at least one control channel (26, 28) opening into an upper region of the pressure chamber (16) when the door closer (10) is installed, and/or with at least one control channel (26, 28) opening into a lower region of the pressure chamber (16) when the door closer (10) is installed.The control channels (26,28) are connected to the regulating valve (24), so that during each closing process hydraulic fluid can be transferred via these control channels (26,28) and the regulating valve (24) into the unpressurized space (18).