Overhead Door Decelerator Brushes for Shock Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual overhead doors are prone to harsh operation, leading to mechanical shock and component wear, recoil, and drift due to improper opening and closing, which existing solutions like raised features in door tracks do not adequately address for non-retractable guide members.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of door decelerators, such as brushes and pads, strategically positioned along the door tracks to slow down and capture the door as it approaches open and closed positions, reducing momentum and force impact on bumpers and the floor, and compatible with both retractable and non-retractable guide members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If raised features are incorporated in door tracks to reduce mechanical shock, then component wear is reduced, but the solution is not compatible with non-retractable guide members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces door decelerators as intermediary devices positioned within the door tracks. These decelerators act as mediators between the door guide members and the raised features, allowing the system to function with non-retractable guide members while still providing shock absorption and wear reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The door track system is segmented into multiple functional components: the track itself, the raised features for shock absorption, and the door decelerators for controlled deceleration. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables compatibility with different guide member types.
2Ease of operation
If retractable guide members are used to allow door release from tracks, then accidental impact response is improved, but repeated forcing over raised features wears down or damages guide members
Solution Approach 1:
The door decelerators serve as protective intermediaries between the retractable guide members and the raised features. They absorb the repeated forcing forces, preventing direct contact between the guide members and the raised features, thereby extending guide member life while maintaining the door release capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The door decelerators are positioned in advance within the tracks to cushion the impact before it reaches the raised features and guide members. This beforehand cushioning reduces the cumulative wear from repeated forcing operations.
3Speed
If manual overhead doors are operated with excessive force, then opening and closing speed is increased, but mechanical shock and recoil increase causing component failure
Solution Approach 1:
The door decelerators are positioned along the track to perform preliminary deceleration action before the door reaches high-speed impact zones. They gradually reduce the door's momentum, converting harmful high-speed impact into controlled slower movement, thereby reducing mechanical shock and recoil.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of excessive operating force into a beneficial controlled deceleration process. The door decelerators transform the raw kinetic energy from forceful operation into controlled motion, reducing shock while maintaining operational speed benefits.
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 door decelerators effectively reduce mechanical shock, recoil, and drift, enhancing the reliability and longevity of overhead door assemblies by gradually imparting resistance to maintain precise positioning and absorb energy, thus mitigating wear and tear on components.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient portion 140a, 140b attached to and extending from the base 138a, 138b... the resilient portion 140a, 140b can be configured to contact the guide member 116
Implementation Method 2
the resilient portion 140a, 140b can be configured to contact the guide member 116... gradually imparting resistance to maintain precise positioning and absorb energy
Data Source
AI summary
Overhead door decelerator assemblies and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a door assembly includes a door, an elongated door track, and a brush proximate the door track. The door includes a guide member extending outwardly from a side edge portion of the door. The brush is positioned such that moving the door between open and closed positions causes the guide member to deflect a resilient portion (e.g., a plurality of bristles, a plurality of flaps, or a blade) of the brush at regions of the resilient portion consecutively positioned along the length of the brush. The brush can be positioned away from the door when the door is in the closed position and in contact with a portion of the door when the door is in the open position.