Panic Door Push Rod with Integrated Photoluminescent Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emergency situations with poor visibility or power failures, existing electrical locking systems for panic doors struggle to reliably indicate the door's status and facilitate quick opening, as signaling devices are often distant from the mechanical actuation elements and may not function during power outages.
Innovation Solution
An electrical locking system with a mechanical actuating element, such as a horizontally running push rod, integrated with a signaling device that includes a light source, allowing for direct and autonomous indication of the door's status, even in low visibility conditions, using wireless connectivity and potentially autonomous power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the signaling device is arranged on the control device next to the door, then the status indication is provided, but the signaling device becomes distant from the mechanical actuation element and may not be visible in poor visibility conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The signaling device is integrated directly onto the mechanical actuating element (push rod), merging the status indication function with the actuation element itself. This ensures that the signaling device is always visible and accessible regardless of control device location or visibility conditions, while the actuation element remains easily locatable through its integrated light source.
Solution Approach 2:
A light source is introduced as an intermediary to enhance the visibility of both the status information and the actuation element. The light source integrated into the push rod serves as a mediator that simultaneously provides status indication and guides users to the correct actuation point, even in darkness or smoke-filled environments.
2Reliability
If the signaling device is arranged remotely on the control device, then the system structure is simplified, but the signaling device may not function during power outages
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical actuating element with integrated signaling device is designed to be self-sufficient regarding power supply. By incorporating an autonomous power source (such as a battery) directly into the push rod assembly, the signaling device can operate independently of the main building power system, ensuring continuous reliability during power outages without requiring complex centralized power management.
3Ease of operation
If a light source is integrated into the mechanical actuating element, then the actuation element becomes easily locatable in darkness, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is merged with the mechanical actuating element structure, combining two previously separate components (actuation mechanism and signaling device) into a single integrated unit. This reduces the number of separate installations and connections required, thereby managing complexity while achieving dual functionality of actuation and visibility enhancement.
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
Enhances user safety by ensuring the door's status is easily recognizable and the emergency exit can be reliably located, even in smoke or darkness, with the signaling device providing clear guidance to the actuation point, thus improving handling and safety during emergencies.
Implementation Method 1
The signaling device according to the locking system according to the invention is also designed as a light source. A light source within the meaning of the present invention is any passively or actively luminous element, such as a light guide, a row of light-emitting diodes, a fluorescent tube or a passively luminous photoluminescent surface.
Implementation Method 2
A light source within the meaning of the present invention is any passively or actively luminous element, such as a light guide, a row of light-emitting diodes, a fluorescent tube or a passively luminous photoluminescent surface.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The system (10) has a mechanical actuating element of a push rod (1) at an interior side of a door (2) for opening the door during emergency, where the push rod runs over a door breadth. A control (4) secures locking, and a signal device (5) such as passive luminescent light unit (6), displays a safety condition of the locking system. The signal device is arranged on the mechanical actuating element, and the light unit is integrated into the push rod. The light unit comprises an elongate light guide and/or a row of LEDs, and has a photo-luminescence surface.