Sliding Door Assist Apparatus with Pivot Pull and Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sliding doors require significant force to open and close due to their weight, friction, and sealing components, making them difficult to operate, especially when equipped with soft close actuators and sealing systems.
Innovation Solution
An assist apparatus is integrated into the sliding door system, featuring door activation devices that rotate around a pivot location and engage assist components, such as wheels or balls, to reduce the force required for opening and closing by pushing off adjacent surfaces, thereby alleviating the weight and friction forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sliding doors are equipped with sealing components and soft close actuators to improve sound proofing and gas sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but the force required to open and close the door increases
Solution Approach 1:
A pulley system acts as an intermediary mechanical advantage device between the user's pulling force and the door. The pulley redirects and multiplies the applied force, allowing the user to overcome the increased resistance from sealing components and soft close actuators without directly applying the full required force to the door.
Solution Approach 2:
The pull is repositioned from the traditional horizontal plane to a vertical orientation. This dimensional change allows the pull to engage with the pulley system, which converts vertical pulling motion into horizontal door movement, providing mechanical advantage and reducing the perceived effort required to operate the door.
2Reliability
If sliding doors are made heavier to improve sound proofing and gas sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pulley system serves as a mechanical intermediary that provides force multiplication. When users pull the vertically oriented pull, the pulley system translates this into amplified horizontal force on the door, making it easier to overcome the weight and friction of heavily sealed doors without compromising the sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The door operation function is segmented into two independent components: the heavy sealed door assembly and the mechanical assistance system (pulley and pull). This segmentation allows the door to maintain its heavy construction for sealing purposes while the separate mechanical assistance system handles the operational difficulty, enabling both heavy construction and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If soft close actuators are added to sliding doors to improve closing control, then closing control is improved, but the door activation force increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulley system acts as a force-multiplying intermediary that compensates for the resistance generated by soft close actuators. When the door needs to be opened, the pulley system provides mechanical advantage to overcome the spring force of the soft close actuator, allowing easy door opening despite the presence of closing control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulley system creates a counterbalancing mechanical advantage that offsets the force generated by soft close actuators. By providing a mechanical leverage ratio greater than 1:1, the system effectively counteracts the spring force, making the door easy to open despite the soft close mechanism's resistance.
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 assist apparatus significantly reduces the door activation force needed to open and close sliding doors, from over 30 lbs to less than 15 lbs, enhancing ease of operation and reducing operator effort.
Implementation Method 1
The assist component of the door activation device aids in opening or closing the door... the assist component may comprise a wheel, a ball, a cylinder, or a ring
Implementation Method 2
The door activation device may be any type of door handle (e.g., pull, knob, lever, or the like)... the assist apparatus may comprise one or more door activation devices (e.g., a first door activation device and a second door activation device on opposite sides of the sliding door) that can rotate around a pivot location
Data Source
AI summary
An assist apparatus utilized within a door system to aid in opening the door. The assist apparatus may include one or more door activation devices (e.g., a first door activation device and a second door activation device, such as pulls on opposite sides of a sliding door) that can rotate around a pivot location. Moreover, the assist apparatus may further include one or more assist components operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices. The door activation device(s) are configured to be operatively coupled to a sliding door and allow for rotation of at least a portion of the door activation device. The assist component(s) of the door activation device(s) aid in opening or closing the sliding door by engaging a door frame, wall, or the like as the door activation device is rotated.