Medical Washer Door Mechanism for Space-Constrained Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical washers/disinfectors often face challenges in being installed in facilities with limited available space, as they require substantial space for door opening and closing, especially when the door needs to swing open or be raised high enough to clear the ceiling.
Innovation Solution
The medical washer/disinfector employs a door mechanism that utilizes the space below the opening to facilitate vertical movement, allowing the door to be pushed upwards by a spring member and then transition into a horizontal closing motion, all while being powered by a single motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door swings open by a pivoting motion, then the door can be opened to provide access to the washing chamber, but substantial additional space is required which is not available in facilities with limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The door movement is changed from horizontal swinging to vertical movement along guide surfaces. The door travels upward along first and second guide surfaces formed on the door and carrier arrangement respectively, utilizing the vertical dimension instead of horizontal space for door opening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The door mechanism transitions from a static pivoting hinge to a dynamic vertical sliding system. The door is raised and lowered along the guide surfaces, with the ability to transition between vertical and horizontal motion phases, providing adaptive movement that adapts to space constraints.
2Ease of operation
If the door is raised above the top of the medical washer/disinfector, then the door can clear the ceiling, but a large distance to the ceiling is needed which is not available in facilities with limited space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of raising the door vertically above the device top to clear the ceiling, the door is moved horizontally along the guide surfaces to a position where it clears the opening while remaining at a lower elevation. This transfers the clearance function from the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional approach raises the door upward to clear obstacles; this invention moves the door horizontally sideways to achieve the same clearance effect, inverting the direction of movement used to solve the clearance problem.
3Reliability
If the door moves vertically with minimal play to avoid friction, then sealing is improved, but the same upward force from the motor cannot be used for both raising and closing the door
Solution Approach 1:
The guide surfaces are designed to dynamically change their orientation during door movement. In the vertical movement phase, the surfaces are aligned vertically with minimal play for good sealing. In the horizontal closing phase, the surfaces transition to provide horizontal guidance, allowing the same motor force to effectively close the door without requiring separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The geometric parameters of the guide surfaces change during operation. The first and second guide surfaces are configured with specific angles and orientations that change as the door moves, transforming the direction of force transmission from vertical to horizontal while maintaining minimal play for sealing throughout the motion range.
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
This design allows for a compact yet efficient medical washer/disinfector that can be installed in spaces with limited dimensions, ensuring effective cleaning and disinfection while optimizing space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member connected to the door at a connection area, the spring member being in contact with the carrier arrangement and extending vertically upwardly from the carrier arrangement to said connection area
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical washer/disinfector, comprising a washing chamber for receiving medical articles to be washed/disinfected, an opening for accessing the interior of the washing chamber, a door which is movable from a lowered open position to a raised stop position and then to a raised closed position. The door is associated with a first slide surface. The medical washer/disinfector also comprises a carrier arrangement vertically movable by a motor, the carrier arrangement comprising a second slide surface for enabling slidable contact with the first slide surface. A spring member extending vertically upwardly from the carrier arrangement to a connection area of the door. The door is pushed upwards by the spring member until the door reaches said raised stop position. Continued upward movement of the carrier arrangement causes the spring member to become more compressed, whereby the door moves horizontally from the raised stop position to the raised closed position.