Upward Acting Door System for Enclosed Space Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enclosed spaces such as garages and warehouses often experience undesirable conditions like excessive heat, carbon monoxide, smoke, and flooding, which existing systems fail to effectively mitigate.
Innovation Solution
An upward acting door system equipped with a controller and sensors that detect undesirable conditions, automatically opening the door to vent or drain the space, utilizing a door operator system that includes a microcontroller, sensors for heat, liquid, and CO detection, and integrated ventilation or drainage systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the door remains closed to maintain security and enclosure, then security and space containment are improved, but undesirable conditions (heat, CO, smoke, liquid) accumulate in the space
Solution Approach 1:
The door transitions from a static closed state to a dynamic partially open state when undesirable conditions are detected. The door can open to a predetermined position (e.g., 45 degrees) to vent harmful conditions while maintaining partial enclosure, allowing the system to adapt between security and ventilation based on real-time sensor input.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors continuously monitor the enclosed space for undesirable conditions (heat, CO, smoke, liquid) and provide feedback to the controller. When thresholds are exceeded, the controller activates the door operator to open the door, creating a closed-loop feedback system that automatically responds to changing conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the door opens completely to vent undesirable conditions, then ventilation and drainage are improved, but security and enclosure are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring complete door opening for ventilation, the system uses partial opening to a predetermined position (e.g., 45 degrees) that provides sufficient venting for harmful conditions while maintaining partial enclosure. This partial action is excessive enough to address the harmful factors but insufficient to compromise security completely.
3Device complexity
If manual monitoring and response to undesirable conditions is used, then system complexity is reduced, but response time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring through sensors that automatically detect undesirable conditions and self-response through the door operator that automatically opens the door when conditions exceed thresholds. This eliminates the need for manual monitoring while maintaining relatively simple system architecture, achieving both low complexity and fast response.
Data Source
AI summary
A door operator includes: a controller; a sensor operatively connected to the controller, the sensor configured to detect an undesirable condition and communicate a signal to the controller when the undesirable condition is detected; and a door operatively connected to the controller, the controller is configured to cause the door to move from a closed position to a non-closed position when the controller receives the signal. In another aspect, the disclosure describes a method of operating a door. The method includes: detecting an undesirable condition with a sensor; communicating with a controller when the undesirable condition is detected by the sensor; and moving the door from a closed position to a non-closed position when the controller receives the signal.