Offset Revolving Door Leaves for Emergency Egress

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional revolving doors have complex and expensive locking mechanisms for emergency escape routes, and require multiple sensors for safety monitoring, which can be error-prone and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The design features a rotor with door leaves that are offset and inclined, allowing them to move linearly along a rail, eliminating the need for complex pivoting mechanisms and using a single laser scanner aligned with the column walls for efficient safety monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional revolving doors use complex locking mechanisms for emergency escape routes, then safety function is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety functionVSAvoidlocking mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the complex locking mechanism entirely by extracting the escape route function from the revolving door system. Instead of adding locking mechanisms to enable escape, the design allows the door to remain continuously operable for emergency egress while maintaining normal revolving function through a simple manual release system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by not requiring a locked state for safety, but rather maintaining continuous operability. The escape function is achieved by allowing the door to be opened in the reverse direction (outward swing) rather than through complex locking/unlocking mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If multiple sensors are used for safety monitoring in conventional revolving doors, then monitoring coverage is improved, but device complexity and error probability increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety monitoringVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the safety monitoring function from complex sensor systems and implements it through a simple laser scanner that detects obstacles in the door's path. The system uses a single laser beam rather than multiple sensors, eliminating complexity while maintaining safety monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical sensor systems with an optical laser scanning system. The laser scanner uses light reflection detection to monitor for obstacles, substituting mechanical contact sensors with a non-contact optical detection method that is simpler and more reliable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If door leaves are arranged radially in conventional revolving doors, then structural simplicity is improved, but flow capacity and safety are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidflow capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by offsetting the door leaves from the central axis of rotation. Instead of radial arrangement where leaves extend directly from the center, the leaves are positioned at an offset distance, creating an asymmetric configuration that increases the effective passage width and improves pedestrian flow capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent moves the door leaves from a two-dimensional radial plane to a three-dimensional offset arrangement. The leaves are positioned at a distance from the rotation axis and inclined at an angle, utilizing the third dimension to create larger clearances and improve flow capacity without significantly increasing structural complexity.

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

4Manufacturing precision

If complex pivoting mechanisms are used for door leaf adjustment, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidadjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical pivoting mechanisms with a simple linear sliding system. The door leaves move along linear guides or rails rather than rotating on complex pivots, eliminating the need for精密 bearing assemblies while maintaining adequate positioning precision through the linear motion constraint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the adjustment mechanism by using a simple manual release system that allows the door to be opened outward rather than relying on complex locking and unlocking mechanisms. The adjustment is achieved through a straightforward linear motion along the offset path rather than angular pivoting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP2496783B1Revolving door
Publication Date: 2014.12.17 AGTATEC
  • EP2496783B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2496783B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2496783B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

An improved revolving door is characterized by the following features: the at least three door leaves (15) can be moved along a movement path (25) between the outer and the inner position, and vice versa; a lateral offset (23) of the movement path (25) or of the extension thereof runs through the axis of rotation (7); in the retracted position, the respective door leaves (15) adjoin and preferably extend parallel or concentric to the associated column wall (21, 121) or the associated column wall section (21, 121).