Roller Shutter Guide Rail Damping Inlet Funnel

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Roller shutters and roller grilles experience noise and wear issues during operation, leading to reduced service life due to the rigidity of existing guide rail systems that do not effectively absorb vibrations and shocks.

Innovation Solution

A guide rail device with a movable inlet funnel and a damping body connected to it, allowing for decoupling from the guide rail, and an elastic connecting element to absorb vibrations and shocks, along with low-friction sliding profiles for smooth operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid guide rail system is used, then structural stability is maintained, but noise and wear increase due to vibrations and shocks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A damping body is integrated into the inlet funnel structure to preemptively absorb vibrations and shocks generated during roller shutter operation. This cushioning element is positioned to receive impact forces before they propagate through the rigid guide rail system, thereby reducing noise and wear while maintaining structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The damping body acts as an intermediary element between the rigid guide rail and the inlet funnel, mediating the transmission of vibrations and shocks. This intermediate component absorbs harmful mechanical energy while allowing the rigid guide rail to maintain its structural function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a fixed inlet funnel is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but wear increases due to inability to adapt to varying retraction angles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The inlet funnel is designed with movability relative to the guide rail, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation in response to varying retraction angles of the roller shutter curtain. This dynamic capability extends service life by preventing wear, while the movement is constrained within controlled limits to maintain manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the inlet funnel is decoupled from the guide rail, then noise and wear are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovewearVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inlet funnel is segmented from the guide rail structure, allowing independent movement and damping functionality. This segmentation enables the funnel to adapt to varying operational conditions while the damping body handles vibrations, reducing wear without requiring complete structural redesign.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 reduces noise and wear on the roller shutter or grille curtain and the guide rail components, extending the service life by effectively damping vibrations and shocks, and allowing for flexible adaptation to varying retraction angles.

Implementation Method 1

a damping body connected to the inlet hopper, which dampens vibrations and shocks of the inlet hopper

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the damping body is designed as an elastic connecting element connecting the guide rail and the inlet funnel to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3763911B1Guide rail device for a rolling gate or rolling grille
Publication Date: 2022.06.08 HORMANN DISSEN
  • EP3763911B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3763911B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3763911B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention provides a guide rail device (10) for laterally guiding a roller door or roller shutter curtain (68) of a roller door or roller shutter (11) with a guide rail (12) for vertically guiding the roller door or roller shutter curtain (68), an inlet funnel (22) for guiding the roller door or roller shutter curtain (68) into an entry area of ​​the guide rail (12), wherein the inlet funnel (22) is movable relative to the guide rail (12), and a damping element (34) connected to the inlet funnel (22), which dampens vibrations and shocks of the inlet funnel.The invention further provides a roller door or roller shutter (11) with a first guide rail device and a second guide rail device, wherein the guide rail (12) of the first guide rail device (10) is attached laterally to the building opening to be closed with the roller door or roller shutter (11) and the guide rail (12) of the second guide rail device is attached laterally to the opposite side of the building opening to be closed with the roller door or roller shutter (11).