Sliding Door Guide with Elastic Stop for Frontal Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sliding doors in handling zones, particularly in the agri-food sector, frequently suffer damage from frontal impacts due to heavy vehicle collisions, which damages the guides at the bottom of the doors, compromising their functionality and sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A sliding door guide system featuring an elastic stop mechanism that allows separation between the carriage and rail upon impact, utilizing inclined surfaces and a latch system to absorb and dissipate energy, thereby preventing damage from frontal impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid guide system is used at the bottom of sliding doors, then the door can be properly guided and sealed during normal operation, but the guide is vulnerable to damage from frontal impacts by heavy vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system transitions from a rigid static structure to a dynamic system where the carriage can separate from the rail upon impact. The stop mechanism allows controlled movement and separation, enabling the guide to adapt to impact forces while maintaining functionality during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic stop and inclined surfaces are pre-configured to absorb and dissipate impact energy before it can damage the guide structure. The deformation capability of the stop and the geometric design of inclined surfaces create a cushioning effect that protects against frontal impacts.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the stop is designed to be rigid to maintain structural integrity, then the guide remains stable during normal sliding, but it cannot absorb impact energy from vehicle collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The stop's mechanical properties are changed to allow elastic deformation under impact loads while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation. The material or structural design enables the stop to flex temporarily under high force then return to its original position, combining stability with impact absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a purely rigid structure to one with controlled flexibility. The stop and inclined surfaces create a dynamic response to loads, remaining rigid during normal sliding but allowing controlled deformation and separation during impacts to absorb energy.
3Manufacturing precision
If the carriage is permanently attached to the rail for stable guiding, then the door guidance is precise, but the guide cannot withstand frontal impacts without damage
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment between carriage and rail changes from permanent to conditional. During normal operation, the inclined surfaces maintain precise engagement for accurate guiding. During impacts, the elastic stop allows temporary separation, enabling the system to survive impacts while recovering guiding precision afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic stop and inclined surface geometry are designed in advance to absorb impact energy before it can cause damage. This pre-configured cushioning mechanism protects the guiding precision by allowing controlled separation during impacts while maintaining precise engagement during normal operation.
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 guide system effectively limits or avoids damage to the sliding door guides during frontal impacts, ensuring the door's functionality and maintaining the seal's tightness in the closed position, while also improving the door's guiding mechanism for proper closure.
Implementation Method 1
the stop opposing a movement of the carriage relative to the rail can deform elastically under the effect of a force in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, so as to allow a separation between the carriage and the rail
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding door guide, including a rail designed to be fastened against a vertical panel, the rail extending along a longitudinal axis, and a carriage designed to be fastened to the door, the carriage being provided with means for sliding along the rail, the sliding means including a stop opposing the movement of the carriage relative to the rail in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the stop can deform elastically under the effect of a force in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, so as to allow a separation between the carriage and the rail.