Hospital Door Package With Pivot Plate And Sliding Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door packages for hospital environments, such as ICU units, often require trade-offs between meeting various code, safety, and customer requirements, as they typically cannot satisfy all criteria simultaneously, such as being trackless, having a U.L. air leakage rated seal, positive latch, and providing a clear, full breakout opening.
Innovation Solution
A door package design featuring a top portion with sliding door panels, a protruding handle for positive latching, and a pivot plate that allows the door to pivot from a retracted to a fully open position, creating a wide clear opening without tracks or thresholds, while maintaining a smoke seal and accommodating emergency egress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional door design with threshold and tracks is used, then the door structure is simple and stable, but it collects bacteria and debris and impedes movement of patients and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into multiple panels (first door panel and second door panel) that can slide relative to each other along tracks in the top portion. This segmentation allows the door to achieve a trackless bottom design while maintaining structural integrity through the divided panels that move independently on the upper tracks.
2Reliability
If a flush pull or finger pull handle is used, then the door surface is flush and aesthetically pleasing, but it cannot provide positive latching to prevent the door from opening by itself
Solution Approach 1:
A protruding handle is introduced as an intermediary element that connects to a latch mechanism. The handle serves as the interface between the user and the positive latching system, allowing manual operation while maintaining the reliable engaged state between the latch mechanism and the door jamb.
3Area of stationary object
If the door is designed for Full Breakout with pivot plate, then a full package opening clearance is achieved for emergency egress, but the door mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The door system incorporates dynamic functionality through the pivot plate mechanism that allows the door panels to transition from a sliding configuration to a pivoting configuration. This dynamic capability enables Full Breakout for emergency egress while maintaining a relatively compact and integrated mechanism that does not significantly increase overall system complexity.
4Length of moving object
If multiple door panels are used to achieve trackless design and full breakout, then the clear door opening is maximized, but the manufacturing and assembly process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The door panels are designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the primary door structure and as components that slide along tracks while also being capable of pivoting on the pivot plate. This universal design reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes despite the complex functionality required.
Data Source
AI summary
A door package includes a door frame, a door, a handle, and a pivot plate. The frame has a top portion that includes tracks in which door panels can slide. The door includes two or more equal size door panels. The handle protrudes in a direction essentially perpendicular to the door panels and is connected to a latch mechanism for positively engaging with a corresponding latch mechanism in the door frame when the door is in a closed position. The pivot plate is attached to the floor and allows the door panels to pivot from a retracted position to a broken open position essentially perpendicular to the plane of the door. At least two of the door panels separate from each other while the door is pivoting from the retracted position to the broken open position, to allow the handle to be accommodated between the two door panels.