Smoke Extractor Release Mechanism with Truncated Shaft

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smoke extractor releases require significant force for actuation and are cumbersome to re-arm, often necessitating additional tools and activities.

Innovation Solution

A smoke extractor release mechanism featuring a cuboidal body with a cartridge seat, a striker supported by a pusher with a two-stage side surface profile, and a shaft with a truncated flat surface, allowing for easy arming and actuation using a pneumatic system without requiring excessive force or tools, with a pivotable body and a deformable indicator for release condition monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a traditional smoke extractor release mechanism is used, then the system provides reliable smoke extraction activation, but significant force is required for actuation and re-arming is cumbersome requiring additional tools

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of actuationVSAvoidforce required for actuation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

A shaft with a truncated flat surface acts as an intermediary between the lever and the pusher collar. When the lever rotates, the flat surface of the shaft engages with the flat surface of the pusher collar, providing a mechanical advantage that reduces the force needed to actuate the release mechanism while maintaining reliable activation of the smoke extractor

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The release mechanism transitions from a static interlocking state to a dynamic actuation state through lever rotation. The shaft and pusher collar surfaces are designed to dynamically engage and disengage, allowing smooth transition between armed and actuated states with reduced actuation force

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a traditional smoke extractor release mechanism is used, then the system provides reliable smoke extraction activation, but re-arming is cumbersome requiring additional tools and activities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of re-armingVSAvoidcomplexity of re-arming process
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The release mechanism is designed to be self-servicing during re-arming. After activation, the lever can be manually rotated back to its initial position, and the shaft automatically re-engages with the pusher collar through its flat surface geometry, allowing the system to return to its armed state without requiring additional tools or complex procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The re-arming process inverts the actuation sequence. Instead of requiring complex tool-based manipulation, the simple rotational movement of the lever in the opposite direction automatically reverses the actuation, with the shaft and pusher collar surfaces guiding the components back to their interlocked armed position

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

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

Optimizes the force required for actuating and re-arming the release, enabling efficient operation and easy reconfiguration without additional tools, enhancing usability and operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a striker (4) supported by a pusher (5) with a collar (6) pressed by an actuating spring (7)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a cartridge seat (2) for receiving a cartridge (3) with compressed gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Data Source

PatentEP2708830B1Smoke extractor release
Publication Date: 2016.11.09 ROTHGANGL
  • EP2708830B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2708830B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2708830B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Smoke extractor release, in particular for a roof smoke flap and a smoke window or a ventilation window characterised in that the axis of revolution of the releasing lever (9) is a shaft (8), having a cylinder sector with a truncated flat surface (C), while the collar (6) of the pusher (5) has a two-stage side surface profile, in which the part of the side surface constituting a spring (7) bumper has a cylindrical shape with a circumferential flat surface (A), towards the striker (7) turning into a cone with a concave side surface (B), in addition in the stand-by position of the release the concave surface (B) of the striker (4) pusher (5) is supported by the cylindrical surface of the shaft (8) and the pusher (4) is interlocked in the position of spring (7) tensioning.