Sliding Door Rail With V-Shaped Support Surfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding door apparatuses face challenges in effectively restraining the swinging movement of the door body, particularly when the door is heavy, due to the unstable support state of the rollers and the large area occupied by the rollers, which can lead to difficulties in design and installation, especially when space is restricted.
Innovation Solution
A sliding door apparatus with a rail having a concave inner surface featuring non-parallel support surfaces, where the first and second driving members receive reaction forces to stabilize the support state and prevent derailing, allowing for smooth movement while effectively restraining swinging, and incorporating an operation assisting rod with adjustable elastic force to facilitate easy opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the door body is made heavy to improve airtightness and stability, then the closing force increases, but the roller diameter must be increased which increases the area occupied by rollers making installation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is divided between two separate rollers instead of using a single large roller. Each roller has a smaller diameter that fits within the case constraints, yet together they provide sufficient support for heavy door bodies while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are arranged in a V-shape configuration with different inclination angles (45 degrees and 30 degrees), utilizing spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions to achieve both compact size and adequate support capacity for heavy doors.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the rollers are arranged in a V-shape to provide support, then the door body can be supported, but the area occupied by the rollers in the depth direction becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The two rollers are positioned at asymmetric angles (45 degrees and 30 degrees) relative to the horizontal direction, creating a V-shaped arrangement that optimizes the depth-direction footprint while maintaining stable support for the door body.
Solution Approach 2:
By utilizing angular arrangement in the horizontal plane rather than vertical stacking, the rollers achieve stable support with minimal depth occupation, effectively using spatial dimensionality to resolve the contradiction between stability and compact size.
3Ease of operation
If the roller suddenly falls down the recess to move the door body, then the door can be moved in the depth direction, but the support state becomes unstable and swinging movement cannot be effectively restrained
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surfaces of the recesses are designed to preliminarily guide and support the rollers during the door closing operation. As the door approaches the closed position, the rollers smoothly transition along the inclined surfaces into the recesses, maintaining continuous support and preventing sudden drops or instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined surfaces act as intermediary elements between the roller and the recess bottom. These surfaces provide a gradual transition path that maintains roller support throughout the movement, preventing direct impact and ensuring stable contact with the rail system during door operation.
4Force
If the roller diameter is increased to handle heavy door bodies, then the load-bearing capacity increases, but the case accommodation becomes difficult and installation is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large-diameter roller to handle the full load, the system segments the load support function across two smaller rollers. Each roller has a diameter that fits within the case constraints, yet their combined capacity is sufficient to support heavy door bodies.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are arranged at different inclination angles (45 degrees and 30 degrees) to optimize the spatial distribution of loads. This angular arrangement allows the smaller rollers to effectively share the vertical load while maintaining compact dimensions that fit within the case.
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 provides a stable support state for the rollers, preventing uneven abrasion and effectively restraining swinging movement, while also allowing for efficient operation and easy opening of the door, even with heavy door bodies, by adjusting the elastic force to suit different weights and resistances.
Implementation Method 1
the first driving member and the second driving member receive from the corresponding support surfaces reaction forces acting in a direction in which the swinging movement is restrained
Implementation Method 2
the concaved inner surface of the rail surrounds the first driving member and the second driving member such that their movement outside the rail (such as derailing) is restricted
Implementation Method 3
an assisting mechanism that assists the opening operation by making use of an elastic force of a coil spring that is compressed as the door body comes close to the closed state
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding door apparatus capable of effectively restraining sliding movement of a door body is provided. A sliding door apparatus 1 includes: a rail 20 having an inner surface 24 formed to have a concave shape, the inner surface 24 having a first support surface 24A and a second support surface 24B which are not parallel to each other; a hanger 30A, 30B having a first driving member (32, 37) in rolling contact with the first support surface 24A, and a second driving member (33, 38) in rolling contact with the second support surface 24B; and a door body 40 configured to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the rail 20 through the hanger 30A, 30B. When seen along the longitudinal direction of the rail, the first support surface 24A and the second support surface 24B are formed to come close to each other as they extend toward a bottom of the inner surface 24.