Hinged Sidelight Astragal Boot Entryway Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building entryways often lack the ability to expand access area for bulky items while maintaining aesthetic and security considerations, and sidelights, when used, are typically fixed and do not contribute to increased access.
Innovation Solution
A building entryway assembly with a hinged main door and sidelight that can be selectively opened, featuring an astragal on the sidelight and an astragal boot on the threshold, creating the appearance of a fixed unit when closed, allowing for expanded access without compromising aesthetics or security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a fixed sidelight is used, then aesthetic appearance and security are maintained, but the entryway access area cannot be expanded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sidelight hinged rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between a closed position (maintaining aesthetic appearance) and an open position (expanding entryway access area). The sidelight can be selectively opened to increase the entryway opening when bulky items need to be moved, while remaining closed during normal conditions to preserve the symmetrical aesthetic and security appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the astragal and astragal boot as intermediary elements to mask the hinged mechanism. These components create the visual appearance of a fixed unit by concealing the hinge and creating a continuous profile when the sidelight is closed, thereby mediating between the need for aesthetic appearance and the need for expandable access.
2Area of moving object
If a hinged sidelight is used, then the entryway access area can be expanded, but the aesthetic appearance and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The astragal and astragal boot serve as intermediary elements that visually connect the sidelight to the door frame, creating the appearance of a fixed, symmetrical framework. When the sidelight is closed, these components conceal the hinge mechanism and create a continuous profile, masking the hinged functionality while preserving the symmetrical aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The astragal and astragal boot are designed to match the visual characteristics of the door frame and threshold, creating a unified appearance. This visual matching helps disguise the hinged sidelight as a fixed unit, maintaining the symmetrical framework appearance from both interior and exterior perspectives.
3Area of moving object
If double doors are used, then the entryway access area is increased, but cost and security concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the entryway system into a main door and a separate hinged sidelight component. This allows the sidelight to be independently opened to expand the access area, achieving a similar effect to double doors but with simpler construction and lower cost, as the sidelight is a narrower, less complex element than a full door.
Data Source
AI summary
A building entryway assembly has the appearance of a fixed sidelight and the functionality of a hinged sidelight. The building entryway assembly includes a hinged main entryway door and at least one hinged sidelight having a lock side that meets the lock side of the main door, such that the sidelight can be selectively opened in addition to the main door when needed to expand the entryway access area. An astragal is fixed to an outer surface of the sidelight at its lock side, and the door threshold includes an astragal boot which aligns with the sidelight astragal when the sidelight is in its closed position. When so aligned, the astragal and astragal boot have the appearance of a fixed astragal extending from the threshold to the header, such that the sidelight appears to be a standard fixed unit with its hinged functionality disguised.