Sliding Door Handle Pivot Mechanism for Emergency Breakout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sliding door systems in intensive care units lack an easy and intuitive mechanism to allow the doors to swing or 'breakout' from their sliding motion, which is essential for emergency situations and efficient movement of medical equipment.
Innovation Solution
A handle system for sliding doors that includes a handle with a latch mechanism, allowing the panels to pivot by moving between a locking and unlocking position, utilizing a camming surface and rod to unlatch the door, enabling the door to swing open.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sliding door system is used in ICU settings, then the door can provide continuous access and maintain environmental standards, but the door lacks an easy mechanism to swing or breakout for emergency situations and equipment movement
Solution Approach 1:
The door system transitions from a static sliding mechanism to a dynamic system that can adapt between sliding and swinging modes. The handle assembly is designed to pivot between a first position (engaging the latch for sliding operation) and a second position (disengaging the latch to enable swinging/breakout operation), allowing the door to change its operational characteristics based on situational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch engagement mechanism is extracted as a separate, independently controllable function from the door structure. The handle assembly acts as a distinct component that can be manipulated to selectively engage or disengage the latch, separating the locking function from the door panel itself and enabling easy transition between operational modes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a complex breakout mechanism is added to allow the door to swing, then emergency access and equipment movement are improved, but the system becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as a pull handle for sliding the door, a latch engagement mechanism for securing the door, and a pivot actuator for enabling breakout mode. This multi-functionality is achieved through the cam surface that interacts with the cam follower, allowing a single component to control multiple door operations without requiring separate mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam and cam follower mechanism automatically translates the rotational movement of the handle into linear movement of the latch bolt. When the user pivots the handle to the second position, the cam surface automatically pushes the cam follower, which in turn moves the latch bolt to disengage, eliminating the need for separate controls or complex procedures for each step of the breakout process.
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
Provides an intuitive and easy method for sliding doors to pivot, facilitating the movement of oversized equipment and improving emergency access by allowing the door to swing open without the need for complex procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a camming surface on the handle; a camming protrusion; a rod operatively connected to the camming protrusion; and a bolt operatively connected to the rod, the bolt configured to move between a latching and unlatching position, wherein pivoting movement of the handle to the unlatching handle position causes the camming surface on the handle to engage and move the camming protrusion to cause the rod and bolt to move axially
Data Source
AI summary
A handle system for a sliding door system is provided. The handle system includes: a first panel; a second panel wherein at least one of the first and second panels is configured to move in a direction parallel to the other of the first and second panels and the first and second panels are configured to also move together in a generally pivoting motion; handle located on one of the first and second panels; and a latch operatively connected to the handle, the latch configured so that movement of the handle moves the latch from a locking position to an unlocking position to allow the first and second panel to pivot.