Sliding and Pivoting Fire Door Closing Sequence Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fire protection door constructions with sliding and rotary leaves are limited in accommodating large objects or vehicles due to restricted openings, and the installation of wicket doors in sliding doors is complex, requiring additional frame components.

Innovation Solution

A door construction with a sliding leaf and a rotary leaf arranged next to each other, allowing opposite directions of opening, featuring a closing sequence control device with a locking mechanism that interacts with a sliding element in a slide rail, enabling automatic closure and reducing the length of the slide rail, and allowing independent operation of both leaves for variable width openings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a wicket door is integrated in a sliding door to allow passage of people, then people can pass through without opening the large sliding door, but the installation becomes complex and requires additional frame components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassage of peopleVSAvoidinstallation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The door system is divided into two independent leaves: a large sliding leaf for vehicles/objects and a smaller rotary leaf for pedestrians. This segmentation eliminates the need to integrate a wicket door within the sliding door structure, simplifying installation while maintaining separate access functions for different user types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the slide rail length is increased to accommodate the travel path of sliding carriages in known closing sequence controls, then the closing sequence control functions reliably, but the device complexity and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclosing sequence controlVSAvoidslide rail length
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a long slide rail with carriages that travel along it (as in prior art), the invention inverts the approach by using a compact locking device with a locking lever that engages with a locking element on the sliding leaf. This reversal of the mechanical approach achieves reliable closing sequence control with minimal slide rail length

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential function of closing sequence control from the complex carriage-slide rail system and implements it through a simplified locking mechanism. The locking device with its locking lever and locking element captures the necessary control function without requiring the extensive travel path of traditional carriage-based systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If both sliding leaf and rotary leaf are opened simultaneously in opposite directions, then variable width openings are achieved for different passage needs, but coordination control becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariable width openingsVSAvoidcoordination control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The closing sequence control device merges the control of both leaves into a single integrated mechanism. The locking device on the sliding leaf and the door closer on the rotary leaf work together through a coordinated closing sequence, automatically managing the interaction between both leaves without requiring complex external coordination systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Facilitates the passage of both people and large objects without the need for additional frame components, providing a cost-effective and functionally reliable solution for fire protection doors with reduced mechanical stress and improved sealing, enabling fully automatic operation and variable width openings.

Implementation Method 1

a spring which is arranged in the sliding rail and acts on the sliding element in the closing direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2302154B1Closing sequence for a sliding and pivoting door, in particular for fire protection purposes
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 HOLZBAU SCHMID GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2302154B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2302154B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2302154B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The closing sequence controlling device (25) has a slide wing (2) and a rotor. The slide wing and the rotor are arranged directly adjacent to each other and are opened in opposite direction. The rotor of the door construction is brought in closing position during closing of the door construction (1), if the slide wing of the door construction is in closing position.