Flat Direct-Drive Revolving Door Motor for Low-Height Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drive units for revolving doors with electronically commutated multi-pole motors often require a gearbox, leading to increased overall height and structural and aesthetic disadvantages, particularly in floor- and ceiling-mounted installations.

Innovation Solution

A drive unit with a flat, disk-shaped or cup-shaped design featuring a stator and rotor part that eliminates the need for a gearbox, allowing for a low-profile integration of the multi-pole motor directly onto the turnstile, with coil and magnetic elements arranged between the parts to achieve a high torque-to-diameter ratio and accommodate a control unit within the motor housing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a gearbox is used to couple the motor to the turnstile, then the motor can be mounted at a distance from the turnstile, but the overall height of the drive unit increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting flexibilityVSAvoidoverall height of drive unit
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the gearbox from the drive unit, eliminating the intermediate mechanical transmission component. The motor is directly coupled to the turnstile through a flange connection, extracting the gearbox function and replacing it with a direct-drive configuration that maintains mounting flexibility while minimizing height.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a flange as an intermediary coupling element between the motor and turnstile. This flange provides the necessary mechanical connection and alignment while keeping the overall height minimal, serving as a compact mediator that replaces the bulky gearbox.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If the drive unit is mounted on the ceiling or floor, then space within the building shell is eliminated, but the installation height requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidinstallation height
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the height-increasing gearbox component from the drive unit, allowing the motor to be directly mounted on the ceiling or floor structure. This extraction enables space-efficient installation while minimizing the height requirement to only what is necessary for the motor and direct coupling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention shifts the mounting approach by providing specific mounting arrangements for ceiling or floor installation. The motor can be mounted in the horizontal plane (parallel to the floor/ceiling) rather than requiring vertical space, utilizing the available horizontal area while minimizing vertical height requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If a high torque-to-diameter ratio is achieved, then the motor size is reduced, but the magnetic and coil elements must be densely arranged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor sizeVSAvoidelement arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the motor into distinct functional components: a stator with coil elements and a rotor with magnetic elements. This segmentation allows for optimized arrangement of the magnetic and coil elements in separate assemblies that can be manufactured independently and then coupled together, reducing the complexity of densely arranging all elements in a single compact structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes the radial dimension by arranging magnetic elements on the rotor periphery and coil elements on the stator, creating a radial flux path. This radial arrangement in the horizontal plane allows for high torque density without requiring excessive vertical height, effectively using the radial space to achieve compact motor dimensions while maintaining manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 enables a significantly reduced overall height of the drive unit, allowing for more compact and aesthetically pleasing installations while maintaining high torque and operational efficiency, with the ability to be mounted on either the ceiling or floor side of the revolving door.

Implementation Method 1

electronically commutated multi-pole motor with a number of coil elements and with a number of magnetic elements

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP2754826B1Drive unit for a revolving door in a flat, disc-shaped form
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 DORMA GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2754826B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2754826B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2754826B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The drive unit has an electronically commutated multi-pole motor (1) having a flat base structure comprising several coil elements (10), several magnet elements (11), and a disk-shaped or cup-shaped stator portion (12) arranged at a stationary structural component portion (13). A disk-shaped or cup-shaped rotor portion (14) arranged in a plane-parallel to the stator portion is configured to be drivingly connected to a turnstile of the revolving door. The coil elements and the magnet elements are received in an area between the stator and rotor portions. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a revolving door arrangement; and (2) a method for arrangement of drive unit.