Pivotable Roller Carriage for Sloping Ceiling Partition Drive

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drive systems for room partition wall systems experience malfunctions due to pendulum movements causing one-sided loading of roller carriages, leading to jamming and reduced drive forces when ceiling rails are installed at an angle, resulting in a disruption of the sliding wall system.

Innovation Solution

A drive system with a pivotable wall element arrangement on the carriage unit, allowing both rollers to remain in the guide rail and absorb a constant proportion of the wall element's weight, featuring a guide device between the roller carriage and drive unit, and rotatable guide rollers on support bolts to prevent tilting and ensure continuous frictional connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the ceiling rails are installed at an angle or the ceiling is not horizontal, then the roller carriage experiences pendulum movement and one-sided loading, but this leads to jamming and disruption of the sliding wall system

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAdaptability to non-horizontal ceilingsVSAvoidSystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The roller carriage is made pivotable relative to the wall element, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation in response to ceiling angles and pendulum movements. This dynamic adaptation enables the rollers to maintain contact with the guide rail on both sides even when the ceiling is not horizontal, preventing one-sided loading and jamming while preserving system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The pivotable connection between the roller carriage and wall element acts as an intermediary mechanism that decouples the ceiling installation angle from the drive system operation. This intermediary allows the roller carriage to compensate for non-horizontal installations without transmitting harmful loads to the drive unit, thereby maintaining reliability across various installation scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If guide rollers are provided to enable the carriage unit to be guided within the guide rail, then the carriage unit can navigate branches and curves, but the guide rollers are subjected to extreme surface pressure that can exceed driving forces

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAbility to navigate guide rail branchesVSAvoidDriving force
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The pivotable roller carriage dynamically adjusts its position and orientation when encountering guide rail branches or curves, allowing the drive rollers to maintain optimal contact with the guide rail. This dynamic adjustment prevents excessive lateral forces from being transmitted to the guide rollers, ensuring that driving forces remain sufficient even when navigating complex guide rail configurations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Stability of the object's composition

If the roller carriage tilts due to one-sided loading, then a roller may be lifted and unable to transmit torque, but this causes the system to come to a standstill

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveRoller carriage stabilityVSAvoidSystem productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivotable connection enables the roller carriage to dynamically compensate for tilting movements by adjusting its orientation. When one-sided loading occurs, the pivotable mechanism allows the carriage to self-correct and maintain both rollers in contact with the guide rail, preventing torque transmission failure and ensuring continuous operation without standstill

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

This solution prevents malfunctions by maintaining a consistent load distribution, allowing for easier installation and maintenance, and ensuring the system operates smoothly on sloping ceilings without the need for compensating substructures, while also optimizing running behavior and reducing the risk of jamming.

Implementation Method 1

the rollers being driven via a drive unit... at least one roller being driven by the drive motor via the gear

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

guide rollers are provided which are guided on the top side of the roller carriage of the carriage unit in predetermined guide tracks within the guide rail

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling: Roller

Data Source

PatentEP2406450B1Drive system for driving and for guiding a wall element for a room partition system
Publication Date: 2015.04.15 DORMA GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2406450B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2406450B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2406450B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a drive system (1) for driving and for guiding a wall element, in particular for a room partition system, comprising a carriage unit (2) which is guided longitudinally movably in a guide rail (3). According to the invention, the wall element is mounted to the carriage unit (2) so as to be swiveled.