Tilting Door Damping Mechanism to Prevent Bounce on Opening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing card processing machines with tilting doors experience bouncing issues upon opening due to the door falling under gravity and impacting a fixed stop, leading to instability and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A door system with a secondary frame, a shaft, and protrusions that engage with stops to control the door's movement, preventing bouncing by ensuring smooth transition from a closed to an open position using a damping mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the door is allowed to fall freely under gravity from closed to open position, then the door opening speed is increased, but the door bounces multiple times upon impact with the stop

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor opening speedVSAvoiddoor stability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a damping element that is pre-positioned between the shaft and the stop. As the door approaches the open position, the protrusion on the shaft engages with the damping element before reaching the hard stop, gradually absorbing the kinetic energy and preventing multiple bounces. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast opening speed while ensuring stable final positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If a fixed stop is used to block the door in the open position, then the door can be reliably positioned, but the door bounces and creates instability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor positioning reliabilityVSAvoiddoor stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a damping element as an intermediary component between the shaft (attached to the door) and the fixed stop. This mediator absorbs the impact energy through controlled deformation, allowing the door to reach the open position reliably while eliminating the harmful bouncing effect. The damping element transforms the direct rigid impact into a controlled energy absorption process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Use of energy by moving object

If the door falls under gravity to open position, then energy consumption is reduced, but the door impacts the stop with high force causing potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor opening energy consumptionVSAvoidimpact damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The damping element is pre-positioned to engage with the shaft protrusion before the door reaches the hard stop. This beforehand cushioning gradually absorbs the kinetic energy accumulated during the gravity-driven fall, converting it into deformation energy in the damping element. This prevents the high-impact collision with the hard stop while maintaining the energy-efficient gravity-assisted opening mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 effectively prevents door bouncing, ensuring stable and controlled movement, enhancing the reliability and longevity of the door system.

Implementation Method 1

Upon tilting from the closed position to the open position, the door falls under the effect of gravity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP4459500B1Tilting door system with a damping system
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 EVOLIS SAS
  • EP4459500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4459500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4459500B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a door system (160) for a processing machine (100), including a secondary frame (202) having a stop (302a-b, 402a-b), a door (162) with a leaf (164) and a shaft (304) mounted movable in rotation about a tilting axis (50) on the secondary frame (202) between a closed position where the leaf (164) extends vertically and an open position where the leaf (164) extends horizontally and where, in the closed position, the shaft (304) is in the lower portion of the leaf (164), and where the shaft (304) has on its periphery, a protrusion (306), where in the closed position, the protrusion (306) is not pressed against said stop (302a-b, 402a-b) and where, in the open position, the protrusion (306) is pressed against said stop (302a-b, 402a-b).