High-Speed Door Assembly With Self-Realigning Collapsible Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed industrial doors face challenges in maintaining sealing and realignment after being dislodged by atypical forces, leading to damage and operational inefficiencies, as existing solutions lack effective automated repair mechanisms for when the door panel is pushed through the opening.
Innovation Solution
The high-speed door assembly features collapsible and retractable guides with angled realignment surfaces and a sensor-actuated system that allows the door panel to automatically return to its guides, even if dislodged into the opening, using a motor-controlled mechanism to facilitate reconfiguration and reduce damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the door panel is made wider than the opening width to engage guides, then the door panel can be properly guided during operation, but the door panel becomes susceptible to damage when impacted by vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The guide can move between an extended position (protruding into the opening) for normal operation and a retracted position (flush with the opening) for impact absorption. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide's position parameter is changed based on operational needs. By adjusting the guide's extension depth into the opening, the system optimizes between two states: maximum guidance engagement during normal door operation and minimum projection during vehicle passage to reduce impact damage.
2Reliability
If the guide protrudes into the opening to guide the door panel, then the door panel can be properly retained, but the door panel is more susceptible to damage from vehicle impact
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic adjustable position. The guide can be extended into the opening path during door operation for proper retention, and retracted to be flush with the opening during vehicle passage to minimize impact exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action by retracting the guide before vehicle impact occurs. This preventive measure reduces the guide's exposure to potential impact forces, thereby protecting both the guide structure and the door panel from damage.
3Ease of repair
If manual repair methods are used to realign the door panel after dislodgement, then the door can be restored to operation, but significant time and productivity are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly performs self-repair through automated realignment. The sensor detects when the door panel becomes dislodged from the guide, and the motor automatically repositions the guide to realign with the door panel, restoring proper operation without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor provides feedback about the door panel's position relative to the guide. When dislodgement is detected, this feedback triggers the motor to adjust the guide position, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically corrects misalignment.
4Extent of automation
If the door panel is pushed through the opening by atypical force, then the door panel becomes dislodged from guides, but automated repair mechanisms are lacking in existing solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated self-repair capability. When the door panel is dislodged from the guide due to atypical forces, the sensor detects the misalignment and the motor automatically repositions the guide to restore proper engagement, enabling the system to repair itself without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor continuously monitors the door panel's position and provides feedback to the control system. When dislodgement is detected, this feedback initiates the automated realignment process, creating a responsive closed-loop system that maintains operational continuity.
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 enables quick and automated reconfiguration of the door assembly, reducing damage and downtime by allowing the door panel to self-realign and maintain sealing integrity, even after dislodgement, thus enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
A flexible door panel is attached to the shaft or drum so as to be capable of being wound and unwound about the drum
Implementation Method 2
using a combination of flexible materials and mechanical biases to facilitate reinsertion and sealing
Data Source
AI summary
A high-speed door assembly has a shaft or drum having a longitudinal axis which is configured so that the longitudinal axis is parallel with a wall to which the door assembly is mounted. A flexible door panel is attached to the shaft or drum so as to be capable of being wound and unwound about the drum for selectively permitting and prohibiting access through an opening in the wall to which the door assembly is mounted, the door panel being wound on the shaft or drum in an orientation such that the door panel defines at least one vertical plane when unwound from the shaft or drum, the vertical plane being spaced further from the wall to which the door assembly is mounted than the longitudinal axis of the shaft or drum. The door panel preferably having at least a portion of its width being substantially equal to or less than the width of the opening and is preferably used with guides which extend into the width of an opening passage of a door while being able to retreat, retract or collapse from their position extended into the door width upon experiencing an impact by an atypical force which can dislodge the door panel from the guides.