Sectional Door Hinge Profiles with Wear-Resistant Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sectional gates face challenges in achieving maximum sturdiness and durability while maintaining aesthetic appeal, with hinge profiles often determining the look of the gate and being fragile, and there are limitations in material choice due to the tongued and grooved design being wear-sensitive.
Innovation Solution
A kit for forming sectional gates with hinge profiles made from wear-resistant materials, featuring a proximal and distal tongued surface where the hinge portion is minimally visible, and reinforcement ribs and attachment lips that enhance structural integrity without affecting the gate's appearance, allowing for a free choice of panel material and improved finger safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tongued and grooved hinge profiles are used, then finger safety is achieved, but the hinge profiles are fragile and wear-sensitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a rigid panel material (such as wood, metal, or plastic) with a flexible sealing element. The sealing element is integrated into the hinge profile, creating a composite structure that leverages the strength of the rigid material and the durability of the flexible seal, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving finger safety through traditional tongued and grooved designs and maintaining structural integrity against wear and fragility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the hinge profile by introducing a flexible sealing element with specific material properties (such as elasticity and耐磨性) into the traditional rigid tongued and grooved design. This parameter change allows the hinge profile to maintain its finger-safety function while significantly improving its resistance to wear and structural integrity, as the flexible element can deform to absorb stresses that would otherwise cause failure in rigid materials.
2Strength
If hinge profiles are made visible for structural reasons, then structural integrity is improved, but the aesthetic appearance of the gate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the sealing element visible only in specific locations where it serves a functional purpose (such as at the edges or joints of the gate panels), while keeping the rest of the hinge profile concealed or minimized. This allows the gate to maintain its aesthetic appearance in most areas while still providing visible evidence of the robust sealing structure where it is most needed for structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sealing element acts as an intermediary between the visible aesthetic surface of the gate and the hidden structural hinge mechanism. It provides a transition that allows the structural components to be concealed while still delivering their structural function, as the sealing element can be designed to blend with the aesthetic surface or be positioned in a way that minimizes its visual impact while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If robust hinge profiles are used to ensure durability, then reliability is improved, but the visibility of hinge profiles increases affecting the look
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the visible portions of the hinge profile in specific locations where structural reinforcement is most needed (such as at the corners or edges), while minimizing or concealing the hinge profiles in less critical areas. This allows the gate to maintain its aesthetic appearance in most areas while still providing visible evidence of robust construction where it is most needed for durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sealing element serves as an intermediary that connects the visible aesthetic surface of the gate to the hidden robust hinge structure. It allows the durable hinge profile to be positioned behind or within the gate panels, reducing its visibility while maintaining its structural function. The sealing element can be designed to extend slightly visible to indicate the presence of the robust hinge system without exposing the entire mechanical structure.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a sectional gate comprising a first and a second panel, further provided with a first hinge profile and a second hinge profile, in which the first hinge profile and/or the edge portion of the first panel form a grooved surface, and in which the second hinge profile and/or the edge portion of the second panel form a tongued surface, for finger-safe cooperation with the grooved surface. In particular, the tongued surface comprises a proximal and distal tongued surface, formed by the edge portion of the second panel and the second hinge portion, respectively. In further aspect, the invention also relates to a panel, a kit for forming a sectional gate, and a hinge system for sectional gates.