Roll-Up Door Refeed Structure Using Shape Memory Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible roll-up doors often become disengaged from their guideways when subjected to perpendicular forces, leading to operational failures, jamming, and damage, requiring manual resetting which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A refeed structure is integrated at the upper part of the guideway, utilizing resilient and deformable shape-memory materials for the door edges and guideway, allowing automatic re-engagement of the door edges on every upward cycle, preventing damage from excessive forces and eliminating the need for counterweights or other mechanical aids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual resetting is used to reengage disengaged door edges, then the door can be restored to operational status, but it requires time-consuming and labor-intensive intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The refeed structure enables the door edge to automatically reengage with the guideway without human intervention. The resilient material properties allow the door edge to deform and naturally guide itself back into the guideway channel during door operation, making the system self-resetting and eliminating manual labor and time requirements.
2Extent of automation
If resilient and deformable shape-memory materials are used for door edges and guideway, then automatic re-engagement is enabled, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes materials with specific resilient and deformable properties that allow temporary shape change during disengagement and automatic recovery to return to the original shape for reengagement. This parameter-based approach (material elasticity and shape-memory characteristics) enables automation without complex mechanical systems, as the material properties themselves provide the resetting mechanism.
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
Ensures the roll-up door remains operational and sealed by automatically re-engaging the edges, reducing manual intervention and preventing damage from excessive forces, thus maintaining efficient and reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing resilient and deformable shape-memory materials for the door edges and guideway, allowing automatic re-engagement of the door edges on every upward cycle
Implementation Method 2
resilient and deformable shape-memory materials
Implementation Method 3
resilient and deformable shape-memory materials... preventing damage from excessive forces
Data Source
AI summary
A refeed block for refeeding a displaced edge of a roll-up door into the rail of a refeed assembly. The refeed block has two guide blocks placed at an angle to one another and each has a low coefficient of friction such that the lateral edge of the roll-up door can glide over the guide block with virtually no drag from the guide block.