Sliding Door Sealing Device with Inverted Spring Bias
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing devices for sliding doors require excessive force to close due to inefficient force transmission mechanisms, leading to automatic door opening and incomplete sealing at the secondary closing edge, necessitating additional blocking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device with a pivotable contact element and force transmission element that minimizes the effort required to lower the sealing strip by utilizing an upward-directed contact surface, allowing the door's weight to assist in sealing activation, and maintaining the seal without additional blocking mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a conventional actuating mechanism with spring-loaded carriage and lever is used, then the sealing strip can be automatically lowered and raised, but a relatively large amount of force is required to close the door
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a spring-loaded carriage that must be forced downward against spring pressure, the invention inverts the approach by using an upwardly biased carriage that is automatically pushed downward by the door's weight during closing. This reversal of the spring bias direction transforms the door weight from a hindrance into a useful actuating force, dramatically reducing the effort needed to close the door while maintaining automatic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the previously harmful effect of door weight (which resisted the downward movement of the carriage) into a beneficial force that automatically actuates the sealing mechanism during door closing. By reversing the spring bias to upward direction, the door weight becomes the driving force for lowering the sealing strip, eliminating the need for additional actuating force.
2Device complexity
If the carriage is positioned behind the drop seal in the direction of travel, then the actuating mechanism can be compact, but the sealing strip must be shortened and cannot seal completely in the area of the secondary closing edge
Solution Approach 1:
The invention repositions the carriage from behind the drop seal to in front of it in the direction of door travel. This positional inversion allows the sealing strip to extend fully to the secondary closing edge, ensuring complete sealing coverage while maintaining a compact actuating mechanism layout through optimized component arrangement.
3Reliability
If the door leaf closes with significant force, then the sealing strip can be reliably lowered, but the door opens automatically when opened due to the restoring force of the spring
Solution Approach 1:
By reversing the spring bias from downward to upward direction, the invention eliminates the automatic door opening problem. The upwardly biased carriage remains engaged with the inclined surface during door opening, requiring continuous user force to maintain opening motion, thus providing user control while ensuring reliable sealing engagement during closing.
Solution Approach 2:
The upwardly biased spring creates a preliminary restraining force that prevents the carriage from automatically returning to its initial position during door opening. This preliminary anti-action counteracts the door weight and friction forces that would otherwise cause automatic door opening, ensuring the user maintains control over the door's opening motion.
4Ease of operation
If a force transmission mechanism with high force multiplication is used, then the actuating button can be pressed with minimal effort, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a self-service mechanism where the door's own weight serves as the actuating force. The upwardly biased carriage automatically converts the door weight into the force needed to press the actuating button during closing, eliminating the need for complex external force multiplication mechanisms while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The upwardly biased carriage acts as an intermediary element that automatically translates door weight into actuating force for the button. This intermediary mechanism provides the necessary force multiplication without requiring complex external mechanisms, as the carriage's upward bias and the door's weight work together to achieve reliable actuation with minimal user effort.
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 the effort needed to close the sliding door, ensures complete sealing, and maintains the door in a closed position without additional external force, preventing automatic opening and allowing for precise door guidance.
Implementation Method 1
an upward-directed contact surface, allowing the door's weight to assist in sealing activation
Implementation Method 2
a pivotally designed force transmission element... This pivoting movement of the contact element results in a pivoting movement of the force transmission element, which in turn actuates the drop seal
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 4
AI summary
A sealing device of a sliding door with a displaceably mounted door leaf has a lowering seal with a sealing strip (11, 12) and with an actuating mechanism for automatically lowering and raising the sealing strip (11, 12). The sealing device has an activating unit (2, 3, 4) for activating the lowering seal, wherein the activating unit has a first contact surface (21, 22), a pivotably designed contact element (3) and a pivotably designed force transmission element (4). Upon closing of the door leaf, the contact element (3) contacts the first contact surface (21, 22) and moves, during the closing movement of the door leaf, with pivoting of the contact element (3), along the first contact surface (21, 22). A pivoting movement of the contact element (3) results in a pivoting movement of the force transmission element (4), with the result that the latter actuates the lowering seal.