Sliding Door Threshold Profile with Removable Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building sliding door thresholds protrude from the floor, posing a tripping hazard and making it difficult for individuals with disabilities to access, as well as risking damage and soiling of the guide rail.
Innovation Solution
A threshold profile with a removable cover and guide rail arrangement that allows the sliding door fitting to move within a countersunk installation, featuring gaps for smooth operation and sealing elements to prevent dirt entry, ensuring accessibility and reducing maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the threshold profile protrudes from the building floor to accommodate the guide rail, then the guide rail can be properly positioned for sliding door operation, but the threshold creates a tripping hazard and impedes barrier-free access for individuals with disabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail is nested within the cavity of the threshold profile, and the cover is nested over the threshold profile. This multi-level nesting structure allows the guide rail to be positioned correctly for reliable sliding door operation while the cover provides a flush surface that eliminates tripping hazards and enables barrier-free access.
2Ease of operation
If the guide rail is exposed and accessible, then the sliding door fitting can move freely, but the guide rail is susceptible to damage and soiling from dirt and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The cover acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the guide rail. It provides protected access through gaps that allow fitting movement while blocking direct exposure to dirt and debris, thus preventing contamination without impeding operational movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover elements include gaps and openings that provide flexible protection - allowing the sliding door fitting to move freely while still protecting the guide rail from direct contact with dirt and debris. The selective openness maintains operational freedom while providing necessary protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the threshold profile is closed completely to protect the guide rail, then dirt entry is prevented, but the sliding door fitting cannot move and the guide rail cannot be accessed for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be removable, transforming the protection system from static to dynamic. When installed, it provides complete protection against dirt entry; when removed, it allows full access to the guide rail for maintenance and repair, thus adapting to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is divided into multiple removable cover elements that can be taken off individually or together. This segmentation allows maintenance access to the guide rail while maintaining protection during normal operation, and enables selective access without compromising overall protection.
4Ease of operation
If a permanent ramp structure is built to enable wheelchair access over the threshold, then barrier-free access is achieved, but the structural complexity and installation requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be flush with the surrounding floor surface, creating an equipotential transition that eliminates height differences. This allows wheelchairs and walkers to pass over the threshold without encountering obstacles, achieving barrier-free access without requiring complex ramp structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A threshold (2) for a building sliding door (1) comprises a threshold profile (21) with a guide rail (231) for guiding a fitting (8) attached to the sliding door, and a cover (7) that can be detachably fixed to the threshold profile (21). The threshold profile (21) is approximately U-shaped transversely to its longitudinal axis. The guide rail (231) is arranged in an interior space of the threshold profile (21) which is covered externally by the cover (7). The cover (7) has several cover elements (71) arranged side by side in the direction (x) of the longitudinal axis of the threshold profile (21). A first gap (13) is formed between the threshold profile (21) and the at least one cover element (71), which can be traversed by a fitting part of the fitting (8). Furthermore, a frame profile for a building sliding door (1) is described.