Gate Assembly Roller Support for Waterway Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate arrangements for waterway closures, such as mortise gates, experience excessive wear and uncontrolled force transfer during closure due to the mismatch between the designed bearing forces and the high locking forces from water pressure, leading to increased wear on mortises and thrust bearings.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pair of supports comprising a support roller and a rolling surface, which allows for a controlled, tangential movement of mortises during closure, reducing impact forces and wear by aligning the gate leaf vertically and ensuring precise contact between mortises and the solid construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gate leaf is designed to hang slightly at an angle on the solid construction due to bearing flexibility and gate weight, then the bearing arrangements are protected from excessive forces, but uncontrolled impact forces occur during closure when mortises collide to straighten the gate leaf
Solution Approach 1:
The support roller is positioned to make contact with the rolling surface before the mortises collide, preliminarily aligning the gate leaf vertically and guiding the closure movement. This preliminary action prevents uncontrolled impact by establishing the correct angular position in advance, allowing the gate leaf to approach the closed position in a controlled manner rather than colliding abruptly
Solution Approach 2:
The support roller acts as an intermediary element between the gate leaf and the rolling surface, mediating the closure movement. It translates the closing motion into controlled rotational movement that gradually aligns the gate leaf vertically, preventing direct impact between mortises while maintaining bearing protection through its guiding function
2Reliability
If mortises collide in the area of the last angular degrees of closing movement to transfer forces from bearings to mortises, then the gate leaf is straightened and bearings are relieved, but excessive wear occurs on mortises and thrust bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The support roller preliminarily positions the gate leaf in the correct angular orientation before mortise contact, ensuring that force transfer occurs through controlled tangential movement rather than collision. This preliminary positioning prevents excessive wear by eliminating the impact component that would otherwise occur during the force transfer phase
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the movement parameter from uncontrolled collision to controlled tangential movement. By guiding the gate leaf through the support roller mechanism, the closure movement is transformed into a precise rotational path that ensures mortises contact smoothly, reducing wear while maintaining effective force transfer capability
3Force
If the gate leaf is aligned vertically through controlled movement, then impact forces are minimized, but additional support mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The support roller serves multiple functions simultaneously: it supports the gate leaf weight, guides the closure movement, aligns the gate leaf vertically, and prevents uncontrolled impact. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate alignment mechanisms, minimizing additional complexity while achieving controlled vertical alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The support roller mechanism uses the gate leaf's own weight and closing motion to achieve vertical alignment automatically. The roller converts the gravitational force and closing momentum into controlled rotational movement, eliminating the need for external power sources or complex control systems to achieve proper alignment
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 solution minimizes impact forces and wear on mortises and thrust bearings, extending their service life and preventing overloading, while maintaining precise alignment and force transfer during closure.
Implementation Method 1
at least one pair of supports comprising a support roller and a rolling surface assigned to the support roller
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a gate assembly for a waterway closure, comprising at least one gate leaf (1) which can be pivoted about a gate leaf pivot axis (8) defined by a step bearing and a neck bearing and which has at least one gate-side hollow quoin which is arranged adjacently to the pivot axis (8). The gate assembly additionally comprises a solid component which can be arranged on a solid structure (5) in the region of a gate receiving area and which comprises at least one solid structure-side hollow quoin. The gate-side hollow quoin can be brought into contact with the corresponding solid structure-side hollow quoin, thereby forming a contact surface (19), upon a closing movement of the gate leaf (1). The gate assembly comprises at least one support pair that is arranged in the region of the pivot axis (8) and consists of a support roller (12) and a rolling surface (13), with which the support roller (12) can be brought into contact or on which the support roller can roll during a pivot movement of the gate leaf (1) into the closed position such that a closing movement component (26) running perpendicularly to the contact surface (19) can be reduced to null as the hollow quoins (10) begin to be contacted.