Frameless Revolving Door Guide Element Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional revolving door systems with frameless all-glass door leaves are aesthetically impaired by the presence of slide rails, and they have a complex assembly process due to multiple components and force transmission elements.
Innovation Solution
A guide element that surrounds the edge of the door leaf, allowing for friction-reduced movement without a slide rail, featuring a base body with guide legs that can be coated for low friction and adjustable to fit various leaf thicknesses, simplifying assembly and maintaining a frameless appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a slide rail is mounted on the upper horizontal edge of the door leaf to guide the sliding arm, then the door leaf can be driven to rotate, but the slide rail impairs the visual appearance of the frameless all-glass door leaf by covering sections of its edge
Solution Approach 1:
The slide rail is completely removed from the door leaf. Instead, a guide element is provided that is connected to the sliding arm and interacts directly with the edge of the glass pane, eliminating the need for a rail mounted on the door leaf while maintaining the guiding function.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide element is introduced as an intermediary component between the sliding arm and the door leaf edge. This guide element transfers the guiding function from the door leaf-mounted rail to a separate component that interacts with the glass edge without being attached to it.
2Reliability
If a slide rail and multiple force transmission elements are used to drive the door leaf, then the door can be reliably actuated, but the number of components increases and assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element combines multiple functions into a single component: it guides the sliding arm, interacts with the door leaf edge, and eliminates the need for separate slide rails and multiple force transmission elements, thereby reducing component count while maintaining actuation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a guide for the sliding arm, a structural connector between the drive mechanism and door leaf, and a component that enables force transmission without requiring separate rails or attachment elements on the door leaf.
3Shape
If the guide element interacts directly with the edge of the pane without a slide rail, then the upper edge can be completely frameless and visually appealing, but friction and wear may increase affecting operation smoothness
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element features guide legs with specific local characteristics: they are positioned to interact with the glass edge at optimal points, and can be provided with coatings or made from low-friction materials at the contact surfaces to reduce friction and wear while maintaining the overall frameless appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide legs can be made from materials with low coefficients of friction, or coated with friction-reducing coatings, combining structural integrity with low-friction surfaces to ensure smooth operation while interacting directly with the glass pane edge.
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 solution eliminates the visual disturbance of slide rails, reduces component count, and simplifies assembly by enabling smooth, low-friction operation while maintaining the door's frameless design and versatility across different leaf thicknesses.
Implementation Method 1
the guide legs can each have a coating with friction-reducing properties on the surfaces facing the pane. Alternatively, the guide legs themselves can also be made, at least in sections, from a material with a low coefficient of friction.
Data Source
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AI summary
A revolving door system with at least one rotatably mounted door leaf is described. At least one stationary drive unit is present, the output element of which is operatively connected to the door leaf via a sliding arm and a guide element. The door leaf is designed as an all-glass leaf with at least one pane. The guide element engages an edge of the pane of the door leaf and is slidable along this edge.