Roller Door Spring Balancer Torque Compensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller doors require complex and expensive mechanical and electronic elements to meet stringent safety requirements, making them costly and inefficient to operate.
Innovation Solution
A roller door design utilizing a simple 24V DC motor and a spring balancer with a tension spring system, where the spring compensation is tailored to match the torque characteristics of the door, and a transmission device adjusts the winding radius to minimize drive power, along with a high-ratio worm gear and traction mechanism for emergency unlocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex mechanical and electronic elements are used to meet safety requirements, then safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a spring balancer system that uses a tension spring arranged in a door shaft to counterbalance the weight of the door curtain. This mechanical counterweight system reduces the drive power required and simplifies the overall drive mechanism while maintaining safety through the inherent mechanical design of the spring compensation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex electronic safety systems with a mechanically-based spring compensation system. The tension spring mechanism provides automatic weight compensation and emergency release capabilities through purely mechanical means, eliminating the need for complex electronic sensors and control systems while meeting safety requirements.
2Reliability
If complex mechanical and electronic elements are used to meet safety requirements, then safety is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring balancer with tension spring provides mechanical weight compensation that reduces drive power requirements. This approach uses simple, inexpensive mechanical components rather than expensive electronic safety systems, achieving safety requirements through mechanical design while keeping manufacturing costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple DC motors and basic mechanical components that can be easily replaced if needed. The spring compensation system uses straightforward mechanical elements rather than expensive electronic components, making the overall system more cost-effective to manufacture and maintain.
3Power
If spring compensation is tailored to match torque characteristics, then drive power is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a transmission device with variable transmission ratio that changes according to the door position. The winding drum has a conical surface that provides different effective radii during the winding process, automatically adapting the transmission ratio to match the torque characteristics of the door at different positions, thereby optimizing drive power requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission device acts as an intermediary between the simple DC motor and the door shaft. It includes a conical winding drum and traction mechanism that automatically adjust the transmission ratio based on door position, matching the torque characteristics without requiring complex control systems.
4Reliability
If nested springs and multiple traction elements are used, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs nested tension springs where one spring is placed inside another within the door shaft. This nested configuration provides redundant safety - if one spring fails, the other maintains the compensation function. The nested arrangement is space-efficient and integrates smoothly into the existing door shaft structure without adding significant complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested spring configuration provides pre-planned redundancy and fail-safe protection. Before any failure can occur, the system already has a backup spring in place that can immediately take over the compensation function, cushioning against the potential harm of spring failure without requiring complex detection or response systems.
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 design allows for a low-power, cost-effective operation that meets safety standards, provides reliable emergency unlocking, and reduces the risk of accidents by using nested springs and multiple traction elements, ensuring safe operation even in case of component failure.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element which can be clamped in a first direction and can be relieved upon rotation in a second direction
Implementation Method 2
a spring assembly which is formed from at least one inner tension spring and one outer tension spring
Implementation Method 3
a high-ratio worm gear
Implementation Method 4
a high-ratio worm gear and traction mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A door shaft (12) is coupled to movable locking elements (16,18) for common movement. A weight-counterbalance device (28) locks onto the door shaft and has a spring element (30), which can be stretched in a first direction by turning the door shaft and relaxed by turning the door shaft in a second direction. The spring element has tension springs (32,34). An independent claim is also included for a driving device for a roller/sectional door.