Controllable Draught Excluder With Hydraulic Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing draught-excluder devices face issues such as friction and permanent deformation due to constant contact with the floor, complex manufacturing processes, delayed and incomplete sealing, and increased maintenance complexity, which hinder efficient air sealing and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A controllably movable draught-excluder device with a flexible strip that moves between raised and lowered positions using a four-bar linkage and an oil hydraulic shock-absorber system, allowing for adjustable delay and instantaneous response, reducing friction and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flexible strip constantly contacts the floor to seal gaps, then air sealing effect is improved, but friction increases and movement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The draught excluder device transitions from a static floor-contacting seal to a dynamic system where the flexible strip is raised off the floor during door movement and only contacts the floor when the door is stationary and closed. This dynamic positioning eliminates friction during operation while maintaining sealing when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic cylinder acts as an intermediary mechanism between the flexible strip and the floor, controlling the strip's position. The hydraulic system mediates the contact between the seal and floor, enabling controlled descent for sealing and retraction for movement, thus resolving the conflict between sealing and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the flexible strip is held in a raised position within a seat, then friction is reduced, but air sealing effect is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two states: raised position for ease of operation during door movement, and lowered position for air sealing when the door is closed. The hydraulic control system enables this dynamic transition based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible strip is preliminarily positioned in the raised position within the seat before door operation to prevent friction. The lowering action is activated only when the door is fully closed, ensuring sealing without interfering with door movement.
3Reliability
If delay means are used to cause the flexible strip to descend after the door is closed, then sealing is improved, but response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
A hydraulic cylinder with controlled fluid flow is used to manage the descent timing. By regulating the hydraulic fluid circulation, the system achieves a balanced delay that ensures complete door closure and proper sealing geometry while minimizing unnecessary response time. The hydraulic system provides smooth, controlled movement rather than abrupt action.
4Reliability
If an oil hydraulic cylinder with conduit and shaft is used for controlled descent, then sealing control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex conduit and shaft components from the hydraulic system, retaining only the essential hydraulic cylinder functionality. This simplification maintains the controlled descent capability while dramatically reducing manufacturing complexity and assembly requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic control function is segmented into a standardized cylinder component that can be independently selected and integrated, rather than requiring a custom-designed complex system with interconnected conduits and shafts. This modular approach simplifies manufacturing while preserving control functionality.
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 device ensures easy door operation with high sealing efficiency, reduced maintenance, and simple adjustment, providing consistent delay and instantaneous movement of the flexible strip, thus addressing the drawbacks of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a oil hydraulic cylinder which slidably supports an annular shaft acted upon by a spring driven by the actuator. The movement of the actuator compresses the spring and allows the fluid to circulate within a conduit which is located fluidically downstream from the cylinder, for controlled descent of a pair of pistons associated with the flexible strip.
Implementation Method 2
the drive means, whose movement is delayed, by the fluid that flows in an opposite direction, with respect to the time at which the door has been closed.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6A~7B
AI summary
A controllably movable draught-excluder device is designed to be attached to the bottom edge (B) of a door (P) or window, which is hinged to a fixed frame (T), and comprises a strip (3) made of a flexible material, which defines a longitudinal axis (L) and is adapted to interact with a sill (S) to provide an air sealing effect, drive means (6) acting upon the strip (3) through at least one connecting link (11) to move the strip of a profile (3) from a raised rest position to a lowered active position in contact with the sill (S) and vice versa. The drive means (6) comprise an actuator (7) which is adapted to move between an extended position, in which it is spaced from the frame (T), when the door (P) is open, and a retracted position in which it contacts the frame (T) when the door (P) is closed, delay means (8) acting upon the drive means (6) to delay the movement of said strip (3). The drive means (6) comprise at least one slide (10), which is connected to the strip through the connecting link (11) and has an appendix (25) with an end edge (26) adapted to interact by contact with the delay means (8) to delay the movement of the strip (3) from its raised position to its lowered position as the door (P) is closed. The end edge (26) may be moved away from the delay means (8) to ensure quasi-instantaneous automatic movement of the strip (3) from its lowered position to its raised position as the door (P) is opened.