Patent Application
20230033898
A cellar entry provides access to a cellar, but can involve inconvenience and delay for opening the cellar entry. Furthermore, once opened, the cellar entry can impose additional constraints for cellar ingress and egress, posing challenge and inconvenience, discomfort, or safety hazards.
Various approaches can be used for cellar entries. For cellar entries installed in a floor, the cellar entry itself poses a tripping and falling hazard. The cellar entry can be constrained by a need to accommodate ingress and egress. Actuated cellar entries can impose additional hazards, e.g., by opening mechanisms intruding into ingress and egress space that a user must avoid. Cellar entries can be visually unappealing, and can be awkwardly large and heavy. A cellar entry may provide insufficient headroom clearance, imposing a need for crouching or ducking during ingress and egress, and when accessing the storage area of the cellar. Furthermore, such constraints can impose limitations on aspects of the cellar, such as requiring awkwardly spaced steps, or steps having unusually large height spacing between steps. Such various features can even impose design constraints on the cellar entry that causes the cellar entry to be in violation of safety codes, building regulations, or other guidelines.
Various example embodiments described herein include systems and methods that overcome the challenges described above. For example, a system can include an actuatable door(s) installed at floor level, made safe by a guard assembly that rises out of the floor according to a predetermined control system. For example, to open the doors, the guard assembly is raised into a deployed position for safety, the door(s) open, and a gate portion of the guard assembly lowers to allow ingress and egress through the open door(s). An access assembly, such as an elevator or stairwell, actuates to facilitate ingress and egress. For the staircase embodiment, a center newel post is raised up when the doors are open, to provide a hand-hold at a convenient height for ingress and egress. Such automatic assemblies are configured and operated without violating safety or building codes, and include safety features with multiple levels of redundancy. For example, some embodiments described herein provide a continuity of handrail for the full length of the staircase, provide guards along open-sided walking surfaces having a vertical drop of more than 30 inches, and provide a guard height of not less than 36 inches. The embodiments described herein can be configured and arranged to accommodate variations in such codes and rules, e.g., by adjusting the retraction and deployment extent of an actuator via control software.
Example embodiments described herein, when in a closed configuration, provide a level, closed, walking surface, which does not need a guard or handrail because the closed surface protects the underlying access assembly (e.g., staircase or elevator) and provides a flush, smooth surface that does not pose a tripping hazard. Before opening, an engineered, automated control system activates and raises the guard assembly to provide, e.g., a fixed-height 42-inch guardrail, and the control system closes the door(s) and lowers the guard assembly after the enclosed space (e.g., cellar) has been vacated. The example control system raises a handrail newel post, e.g., to a height of 36 inches after the door is open, and lowers the post during or after door closure. Such assemblies, including example embodiments of the guard assembly and post of the access assembly or their constituent parts, are deployable and retractable independent from operation of each other and the door(s). Embodiments include engineered fail-safe systems, to prevent doors from opening without the guard in place, to keep the door open, to keep the handrail extended, and to keep the guard assembly up while the storage space is occupied. Furthermore, systems can be manually released, and include systems to enable the door(s) to fail-safe to an open position by operation of a counterweight without a need for power.
Example embodiments include doors having sufficient size to provide safe and comfortable ingress and egress through the opening assembly. Accordingly, a spiral staircase access assembly can be dimensioned to enable a user to traverse the spiral staircase safely without needing to stoop under a door, under the floor, and/or under a landing of the staircase in traversing around the staircase. An elevator access assembly can be dimensioned to enable hand trucks and various storage units to be loaded onto the elevator platform, to facilitate fast and efficient loading or unloading of an enclosed space beneath the opening assembly (e.g., a cellar).
The opening assembly 130 is installable in a floor above the enclosed region 104. In an example, the opening assembly 130 includes extensions that extend laterally into the floor, to suspend the system 100 from the floor structure. The opening assembly 130 is actuatable between an open configuration to provide access to the enclosed region 104, and a closed configuration in which the opening assembly 130 provides a closed surface. As illustrated, the doors 132 of the opening assembly 130 are sliding doors that are partially open. In other example embodiments, the door(s) 132 operate based on opening and closing on hinges, rotating/pivoting, irising, swiveling, or other arrangements.
In the illustrated example, the guard assembly 150 is mounted to the opening assembly 130. Accordingly, the guard assembly 150 is coupled indirectly to the floor foundation via the opening assembly (which is suspended from the floor). In other example embodiments, the guard assembly is mounted directly to the floor, independent of the opening assembly, and is installable into the floor independent of the opening assembly 130. The guard assembly 150 is actuatable independent of the opening assembly 130, between a retracted configuration (e.g., a top of the guard assembly 150 being flush with the closed surface of the opening assembly 130), and a deployed configuration (as illustrated in dashed lines) to serve as a guard for the opening assembly 130.
In example embodiments, a control system (not shown in
In other example embodiments, one (or both) of the semicircular doors 232 is divided into two quarter doors (e.g., one semicircle door and two quarter doors). For example, the illustrated semicircular door 232, half of which extends over the landing of the staircase, can be formed as two quarter doors, one of which is opened to reveal the landing, and the other of which opens partially to position a quarter edge of the quarter door, which faces toward the landing, at a height (e.g., opened at approximately 45 degrees) that serves as a guardrail to prevent a user from traversing over a kick panel of the landing, as well as serving as a handhold via the edge of the partially opened quarter door. Such an arrangement is similar to either one of the doors 332 as illustrated in
In an example, four actuatable quarter doors are used. Such doors are configurable to open in an aesthetically pleasing manner and orientation, such as by beginning to open the first quarter door over the staircase landing to full 90 degrees, then before the first quarter door finishes opening, begin opening the next quarter door along the ingress path to 65 degrees, and so on. An arbitrary number of T total doors can be opened in this manner, e.g., by opening an nth door of the total T doors to an angle of (90−(n×(90/T)). Accordingly, as a user traverses down the stairway, the decreasing head clearance below the partially opened doors mirrors the increasing foot room caused by traversing down the spiral staircase path. In another example, two doors are used with one door remaining fixed, and one door being actuatable. The opening assembly 230 also includes a plurality of support arms 212, coupled to an inner support 220, to form a support gap 222 around the inner support 220. The illustrated example support gap 222 spans an outer extent of an outer support 210 and an inner extent of the inner support 220. The doors 232 are hingedly mounted to the inner support 220 of the opening assembly 230. A door actuation system 234 is coupled to the doors to actuate the doors between an open configuration (to provide access through the opening assembly 230), and a closed configuration (as illustrated in
The guard assembly 250 is supported by the plurality of support arms 212. A given support arm 212 is configured to slidably mount the guard assembly 250 and allow a corresponding shaft 258 of the guard assembly 250 to pass through the support arm 212. Bearings 260 mounted to the support arms 212 enable the shafts 258 of the guard assembly 250 to smoothly slide. Particular customized features are engineered into a configuration of the shafts 258, bearings 260, and guard assembly 250 to avoid binding of the guard assembly 250. The guard assembly 250 includes a guardrail 254 and a gate. The guardrail 254 includes an upper guard support 257 and a lower guard support 255. The guard assembly 250 is actuatable between a retracted configuration flush with the closed surface (as illustrated), and a deployed configuration (not shown in
The access assembly 270 is mounted to the opening assembly 230 for ingress and egress through the opening assembly 230. As illustrated, the access assembly 270 is also mounted to a base of the enclosed region. The access assembly 270 illustrated in
In another example embodiment, the access assembly for ingress and egress through the opening assembly 230 is an actuatable elevator platform. For example, a hydraulic plunger can be installed into a base of the enclosed region, or suspended from the opening assembly 230, to enable the elevator platform to raise or lower according to a system control system.
The storage assembly 290 is disposed in the enclosed region, below the opening assembly 230 and encircled at least in part by the guard assembly 250 in the retracted configuration. The storage assembly 290 can be formed as a unitary structure, e.g., poured concrete. In another example, the storage assembly 290 is modular and formed by the plurality of stacked wall accessories 292. The wall accessories 292 are configured to form at least a portion of a wall surrounding the enclosed region under the opening assembly 230. Behind the wall accessories 292, a surface of the surrounding enclosed space faces the back of the wall accessories 292. The surrounding enclosed space can be thickened and reinforced, to further provide thermal stability and temperature retention. For example, dual six-inch layers of concreted are poured to form the walls of the enclosed space, providing a twelve-inch thickness of concrete. Such concrete readily retains the cooled temperature of the enclosed space, and enables the enclosed space to retain a desired temperature even in the situation of a power failure. The gap between the walls of the enclosed space and the wall accessories 292 is thereby surrounded by materials that readily retain temperatures and help to maintain a steady desired temperature, even in the event of power failure.
The storage assembly 290 illustrated in
Referring back to the opening assembly 230, the illustrated example hinge 235 is formed as a box enclosure, including a door axle with bearings and one or more adjusters, e.g., threaded adjustable stoppers aligned to provide fine alignment of arms of the door along two axes perpendicular to the hinge axle, and aligned axially to control side-to-side drift of the door 232 in the hinge 235.
Other example embodiments can include custom door shapes, such as non-circular geometric shapes, novelty shapes (e.g., in the shape of a state of the U.S.A., in the shape of a college logo, etc.), or any arbitrary shapes being possible. As illustrated, the doors are formed as a structural frame supporting a transparent inlay material. For example, the doors 232 include a laminated structural glass having a non-slip texture. In an example, the door is machined out of a solid billet, to provide strength and rigidity while enabling customized shapes. As illustrated, the doors 232 in the closed configuration sit inside the ring formed by the inner support 220, enabling the doors to sit flush with the floor level to provide a closed surface. In another example embodiment, the inner support is recessed further down, e.g., another quarter inch below, such that the inner support sits below the floor level, and the doors 232 can close sitting on top of the inner support 220. As illustrated, the inner support 220 is formed as a ring of quarter angle, providing a space in which the doors 232 can rest, surrounded on sides of the door by the inner support 220 and also supported underneath by a floor lip section of the inner support 220.
In example embodiments, components of the opening assembly 230, door frames, and various other illustrated components can be made of stainless steel. The support arms 212 can be formed of 3″×6″×0.25″ hollow rectangular steel sections that tie the inner support 220, and/or the outer support 210, to the surrounding floor (e.g., to rebar and slab of a concrete floor). The structure is robust and capable of easily supporting, e.g., door hinges 235 carrying a 640 pound force load expected from each door 232 (e.g., semicircular doors which when closed form a circle approximately 6 feet in diameter) and counterweight 238, in addition to load bearing weight from people standing on top of the closed surface formed by the doors 232 in the illustrated closed configuration.
In the illustrated embodiment of system 200, mounting and support for the entire system 200, including the doors 232 and the guard assembly 250, can be provided from the floor level in which system 200 is mounted. Accordingly, the system 200 is secured without a need to build up structure beneath the opening assembly 230, which instead is anchored into the floor at floor level (e.g., flush with the closed surface formed by closed doors 232). Accordingly, the doors 232 in the illustrated closed configuration enable the doors to serve as usable floor space that can be walked upon, with robust support provided by the support arms 212. The support arms 212 are illustrated extending radially away from the system 200, which enables them to extend sufficiently into a surrounding floor into which they are anchored. The extent to which the support arms 212 extend is variable, to accommodate different floor layouts or other constraints. The support arms 212 are shown formed with a closed box cross-section. In other examples, the support arms 212 have a C-channel cross-section instead of box beam, or can be formed as a flat plank.
Referring back to the storage assembly 290, the storage assembly 290 is free-standing, built up by stacking modular wall accessories 292 on a floor of the enclosed region. Accordingly, the wall accessories 292 can be formed with a thinner structure that does not need to be load bearing, reducing a wall thickness of the wall accessories 292, maximizing storage space for storing items. The staircase access assembly 270 is shown mounted to the floor of the enclosed space for stability, and does not come in contact with the storage assembly 290. In other examples, the staircase can be fully suspended from the opening assembly 230. In the illustrated example, an upper portion of the access assembly 270 includes a platform that is welded to the inner support 220, ensuring that the stairwell is stable and will not rock around or come into contact with the storage assembly 290 while being used for ingress and egress by a person. The steps 276 of the staircase are cantilevered and supported by their own webbing 278 for sufficient rigidity and support, without needing to be connected to the storage assembly 290.
The doors 232 are automatically biased toward the open configuration by virtue of the counterweights 238, such that gravity will induce the doors 232 to open in response to a mechanical release being activated, even in the absence of power. In other examples, the doors 232 are balanced neutrally (not biased toward the open or closed configuration) or are biased toward the closed configuration. The doors 232 can be balanced in a manner that allows the balanced and/or biased doors to be manually pushed open by a user without difficulty, e.g., after activating a mechanical release. In an example configuration, the two doors 232 weigh 200 pounds each, and the two counterweights weigh 400 pounds each, while being suspended by the support arms 212 anchored to the foundation at floor level. The system 200 is carefully balanced to provide 1) bias toward an open configuration, while also 2) providing the doors 212 with enough resistance to enable a safety feature of door actuators (not readily visible in
The overall structure of system 200 is robust to support large weights. For example, in the illustrated example embodiment, the guard assembly 250 is approximately 800 pounds, and includes a gate of 200 pounds, plus actuators for the guard assembly 250. Furthermore, the walkable closed surface formed by doors 232 (and surrounding assemblies) is engineered to support an additional live load (e.g., people standing atop the system 200) of 2300 pounds, beyond the existing weight of the system 200. As for size, in the illustrated embodiment, the diameter of the doors 232 corresponding to the inner support 220 is approximately 60 inches, and the diameter of the outer support 210, corresponding to an upper guard support 257 of a guardrail 254 of the guard assembly 250, is approximately 102 inches.
The double doors 232 both being actuated to an open configuration enables the system 200 to provide ample head room above the access assembly 270 for ingress and egress without having to duck or crouch under a surface (such as a fixed door, or the floor, in a configuration where only half of the access assembly 270 is uncovered by an opening), by virtue of enabling the entire access assembly 270 to be uncovered. The system 200 enables such high head clearance, and a user can traverse nearly a full orbit of the staircase before passing under a landing of the staircase, without needing to crouch or duck under a fixed half-door or floor section. Accordingly, the illustrated system 200 enables, e.g., an 80 inch clearance, providing great flexibility in vertical spacing between stair steps, and other engineering design parameters regarding ingress and egress.
Referring back to the storage space formed below the opening assembly 230 and above the storage assembly 290, such unstructured storage space is customizable based on how high the wall accessories 292 are stacked. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage assembly 290 is stacked seven layers high. In other examples, the storage assembly 290 can be stacked with fewer or greater numbers of layers.
The unstructured storage space can be used to store various objects, such as cases of wine, barrels, kegs of beer, and the like. In an example embodiment, kegs or barrels are attached to hoses passing through the opening assembly 230 to floor level, to feed wine or beer to a dispenser that rises from the floor as an accessory (see
In an embodiment, the enclosed region is provided with a conditioned environment, e.g., by an air conditioning unit (not shown). The air conditioning unit can be located external to the system 200, or can be contained within the system 200, e.g., placed in the unstructured storage space or structured and positioned as a wall accessory 292 in the storage assembly 290. In an embodiment, conditioned air is routed through various air ducts, and the wall accessories 292 include various ports, slots, ducts, or other passages to allow air to circulate through the wall accessories 292. In an example embodiment, airflow movement is controlled through the wall accessories 292 to introduce conditioned cool air at a top of the enclosed space, with an air return at the bottom of the enclosed space. An upper area, e.g., at least a portion of the unstructured storage space, of the enclosed region can be kept with stagnant, uncirculated air to serve as an insulating border between the opening assembly 230 and the lower cooled circulating air. For example, an upper portion, e.g., a depth of two feet below the floor surface, of stagnant air is used as an insulating border. Furthermore, although not shown in
Accordingly, embodiments of the system 200 can include an air circulation system to circulate cooled air introduced at a top of the enclosed region, (below the stagnant air layer, if the embodiment includes such a layer) to be collected at the bottom of the enclosed region for recirculation. The stagnant air layer can be used to maintain a temperature and humidity environment for portions of the opening assembly and other structures that minimizes formation of condensation, or provides other environmental conditions that protect good operation and longevity of the system 200. Such conditions can be adjusted in view of the expected environmental conditions above the opening assembly 230, e.g., the environmental conditions of the room above the system 200 (e.g., whether the room is warm and humid in a tropical environment, or cool and dry in a northern environment, which calls for suitably matching transition environment in the stagnant air space, which can be adjusted with a separate setting for partially diverting some of the conditioned air to the stagnant air space as needed to maintain the desired stagnant air environment). In other embodiments, the upper air layer is actively cooled and/or circulated with conditioned air, to thereby maintain a cool condition for at least one accessory that has been retracted below floor level into the upper air space. Accordingly, when a user deploys the accessory, the accessory is entirely cooled. For example, a beverage can be kept cool in the conditioned air space, and can be dispensed by a dispenser accessory that is kept cool when retracted, including any feed lines and even the spout of the dispenser. Accordingly, the beverage can be dispensed under precisely controlled conditions without unwanted warming.
In example embodiments, the characteristics of the various components and assemblies are tailored to avoid condensation. For example, a heating accessory is coupled to the opening assembly 230 and/or other assemblies such as the guard assembly 250, to warm one or more structural assemblies of the system 200. The heating accessory is set warm enough to prevent the assemblies from attracting condensate, i.e., the system 200 (including a control system) is configured to direct the heating accessory to sufficiently warm components to prevent condensation formation when the otherwise cold components come in contact with warm/moist air in a room in which the system 200 is installed.
In an example embodiment, the enclosed region includes at least one air supply line positioned approximately two feet below a finished floor level, fed from lines positioned behind the storage assembly 290, with at least one air intake positioned at a base of the enclosed space, e.g., passing through a back of a wall accessory 292 at the base. The conditioned air drops through the blocks via various passages in upper and lower surfaces of the wall accessories 292. Such passages enable air circulation through the wall accessories 292, even if the wall accessories are loaded with stored items, such as wine bottles, regardless of whether the stored items block air passage through the front of the wall accessory 292.
In an example embodiment, the wall accessories 292 are structured to provide a thermal mass to provide a stabilizing influence on temperature in the enclosed space. For example, a back wall of the wall accessories 292 can be made relatively thicker than other walls of the wall accessories 292, to increase the thermal mass of the wall accessory 292, without the wall thickness substantially decreasing storage capacity of each block (e.g., compared to blocks having thicker floor, ceiling, and side walls). The wall accessories 292 can be formed of a material having an ability to readily maintain a cool temperature. For example, a relatively dense variation of concrete can be used to form the wall accessories, which provides greater thermal mass compared to standard density concrete or cinderblock, for example. In alternate examples, the wall accessories 292 are formed of a first material to provide structural support characteristics, and include a second material to provide thermal mass characteristics. An embodiment of the wall accessories 292 includes at least one exterior layer of venetian plaster, to provide self-healing properties to the wall accessories 292, e.g., the ability to sand off any dried wine stains or other stains, and prevent spilled wine from soaking deep into underlying surfaces of the wall accessories 292. An example venetian plaster layer has a thickness of approximately ⅛ inch.
Example storage assemblies include, e.g., wall accessories 292 structured and configured to fit wine bottles. In an example, the wall accessories 292 are structured to fit wine bottles inserted head first laying on their sides, and can include sub-structures to stabilize each bottle at a predetermined angle and presentation. The wall accessories 292 illustrated in
Embodiments of the storage assembly 290 also include cask or keg shapes that are dimensioned to fit within the footprint of the ring formed by the upper layer of the storage assembly 290, e.g., a wedge, a curved rectangle, partial or full ring, or other suitable shapes. Such custom components of the storage assembly 290 can include handles and/or spouts, for facilitating dispensing of the beverages directly from the components. In other examples, the components include fluid couplings, to couple the components directly to dispensers disposed above in the opening assembly 230.
In example embodiments, the enclosed space includes an elevated floor ring (not shown), extending radially between an interior surface of an outer wall of the enclosed space, and an outer surface of the storage assembly. The elevated floor ring provides an elevated support surface above the floor of the enclosed space. The elevated floor ring can be used to support a service technician, and can catch items that might fall behind the storage assembly 290 to retain them at a height to allow the items to be easily retrieved. In an example, the elevated floor ring is provided as a lip extending inward toward the storage assembly 290 from an inner surface of the enclosed space behind the storage assembly 290. In another example, the elevated floor ring is provided as a lip extending outward toward an inner surface of the enclosed space. In another example, the elevated floor ring fully spans the radial distance. The elevated floor ring can be formed by a layer of customized wall accessories 290 having a rearward extension, and in other examples, can be formed by pouring a layer of concrete extending beyond and into the inner surface of the enclosed space, forming an integrated part of the wall that encloses the storage assembly 290 which is reinforced by rebar tied to reinforcements within the wall. In an example, the elevated floor ring is positioned at a height above the floor corresponding to two or three stacked wall accessories 292. The elevated floor ring has a thickness of approximately an inch or two, and can sit at a height of approximately eight feet beneath serviceable components (e.g., mounts for the guard assembly actuators). Accordingly, a service technician can stand on the elevated floor ring to reach and service various system components.
In example embodiments, the elevated floor ring seals off the airspace below the elevated floor ring from the airspace above it. The sealed-off lower space serves as a return plenum airspace, to contain a volume of return air which feeds return lines to the air conditioning unit. The lower wall accessories 292 that are below the level of the elevated floor ring include choke(s) to control the airflow from wall accessories 292 to the return plenum airspace. The return plenum airspace has ducts or tubing leading to the air conditioner.
The guard assembly 350 is shown deployed, based on guard actuators 364. In an example embodiment, the guard assembly 350 includes six guard actuators 364, with four actuators evenly distributed around a circumference of the guard assembly 350, and two actuators designated for actuating the gate 368 of the guard assembly 350 (e.g., see
The guard assembly 350 is shown fully deployed, with the doors 332 fully closed and post 374 fully retracted. In alternate example embodiments, the actuation of various components is at least partially simultaneous. For example, the doors 332 can partially begin opening, and/or post 374 can partially begin deploying, prior to the full deployment of the guard assembly 350. Such a scenario can enable system 300 to meet guidelines while taking advantage of simultaneous actuations to reduce overall deployment time. For example, a guideline that requires a 36″ guardrail height to be in place before the door opens, is met by a system having a 42″ guardrail height which is deployed and the doors begin opening and the post 374 begins deploying, once the guardrail reaches a 36″ partially-deployed height, with the systems continuing to open and deploy while the guardrail finishes deploying to the full 42″ height.
As illustrated, the post 374 is fully retracted. Accordingly, there is space above the post 374 beneath the partially opened doors 332 in which the post 374 can deploy. In other embodiments, actuation of the post 374 is synchronized to deploy with opening of the doors 332. In yet other embodiments, actuation of the doors 332 can be aided by actuation of the post 374, which provides a push to the underside of the doors 332. In various embodiments, the post 374 is spring loaded, to accommodate variations in deployment rates in the pushing between the doors 332 and the post 374, as well as to provide a cushioning effect in closing the doors 332.
With the gate 368 retracted, the direct path over the gate to the staircase is unimpeded, allowing users to easily and safely access the landing of the staircase.
In example embodiments, the guard assembly 350 includes an interlock between the gate and the guardrail of the guard assembly 350. The guardrail is actuatable independent of the gate 364, doors 332, and post 374, even while the gate 368 is retracted. An example guard assembly 368 includes a catch, to stop the gate 368 from raising above the guardrail, whether the guardrail is partially or fully deployed. In some embodiments, a control system for system 300 can be configured to adjust rates of deployment between the guardrail and the gate 368 of the guard assembly 350. For example, the guardrail can begin a deployment at a first rate, while the gate 368 waits in a retracted position. Once the guardrail reaches a partial deployment (e.g., when the guardrail is at one-third or one-half of full deployment), then the gate deploys at a second, faster rate to catch up with the guardrail, such that the gate and guardrail reach full deployment approximately simultaneously. The rates of deployment and retraction for the guardrail and gate can be adjusted. For example, the guardrail can deploy at a rate of 2.5 inches per second, and the gate can deploy at a rate of 3.0 inches per second. The actuation rates also can be based on varying rates of acceleration. Similar variations can be applied to all forms of actuation, using a programmable control system to direct operation of the actuators.
Various features of the system 300 remain safe during all modes of operation, and even in a power outage the system 300 operates according to redundant failsafes. For example, the various actuators are set with a thread pitch that, when power is lost, provide enough friction to lock the actuated assembly in place. Thus, for example, the post 374 remains friction locked in place by the actuator thread pitch, and resists a downward force exceeding the weight of a person, without moving.
The guard assembly 450 includes shafts and guard panels 459, to provide safety protection. In an example, the guard assembly 450 can prevent the passage of a four-inch sphere (approximating the head size of an infant human). In an example embodiment, the guard assembly 450 includes a momentary guard control switch (whose position can be intentionally hidden from public view, in a secret location known only by the owner and kept secret from guests), which operates as a dead man's switch and is activated and held down to lower the gate 468. In other embodiments, the guard control switch includes a plurality of switches that are actuated simultaneously to cause the gate 468 to become actuated.
In the retracted position, the guard rail 454, doors 432, and gate 468 are flush with the finished floor 402. The various actuated assemblies are friction locked in place by actuator thread pitch, such that the assemblies do not move uncontrollably in the event of power loss, and sustain sufficient forces to serve as secure and safe hand-holds.
As set forth above, the opening assembly includes an inner support and an outer support, which can be ring-shaped as illustrated in
In example embodiments, the guard assembly 450 includes a seal 456 disposed atop the outer support, beneath the upper guard support of the guardrail and gate, such that the seal 456 is engaged and sandwiched when the guard assembly is in the retracted configuration, to provide a seal 456 preventing fluid intrusion through the guard assembly (e.g., a liquid spill onto the floor 402). In example embodiments, the seal 456 is provided as a flexible and resilient rubber, such as neoprene or other gasket materials. The seal 456 can be provided in sections, such as two separate O-rings having slightly different diameters, to fit along an outer diameter and an inner diameter of the outer support ring. In another example, the seal 456 is provided in separate sections along the circumference of the outer support. The seal 456 prevents spilled fluids from passing through slots and holes in the outer support, which allow passage of the guardrail 454 and gate 468 through the seal 456 and the outer support.
As illustrated, an edge of the guardrail 454 is flush with an edge of the upper support rail of the gate 468, e.g., when the rails are deployed and/or retracted at the same height, or when the edges pass each other during actuation at different times and/or rates. Accordingly, a rail gap is minimized between the rail of the gate 468 and the guardrail 454, providing a continuous circular appearance when the guardrail 454 and the gate 468 a configured to cause their rails to be coplanar. In embodiments, the guardrail 454 and/or the rail of the gate 468 are made of rigid material to provide support. In other example embodiments, at least a portion of the guardrail 454 and/or the rail of the gate 468 is flexible. For example, a primary middle section of the upper rail of the gate 468 can be made of metal, and the left and/or right edges of the metal are shortened (relative to the illustrated example) to provide an approximately one-inch gap on either side of the upper rail of the gate 468, between the gate 468 and the guardrail 454, to avoid presenting a pinch-point between rail edges. The side edges of the upper rail of the gate 468, and/or the guardrail 454, can be fashioned to accommodate a break-away section (illustrated using dashed lines across the gate) that is removably fastened, e.g., via drilled holes and dowels, dovetails, mortise and tenon or other joints, to the rail(s). For example, the break-away section is fashioned of a flexible material such as rubber, plastic, or other material that appears visually similar to the rail(s), but is deformable and capable of mitigating pinch points. Accordingly, if an obstruction is introduced between the rails, the break-away section is configured to pop off and prevent damage to the obstruction, and is configured to repeatedly and easily be pushed back into place to secure the break-away section(s) to the rail(s) and complete the continuity between the rails of the gate and guardrail. In other examples, the break-away section is flexible to deform, and permanently fastened to either or both of the rails, to deform in the presence of an obstruction without damaging the obstruction and without popping off. In other example embodiments, the rails are entirely constructed of a flexible material.
In example embodiments, the edges of the guardrail 454 and the upper rail of the gate 468 can overlap and engage with each other. For example, the gate 468 can be configured to not exceed a height of the guardrail 454. Accordingly, an edge(s) the guardrail 454 can include an overhang, and/or the gate 468 can include an underhang, which provides a lateral overlap in the rails that enables the rails to positively engage each other to form a unified rail structure between the guardrail 454 and the upper rail of the gate 468. Such overlapping sections can include engagement structures to unify the rails, such as various joints, pins, or other couplings between rails.
The guard control switch 562 can serve as a “dead man's” switch, e.g., positioned on the guard assembly 550. As illustrated, the guard control switch 562 is visible on an upper surface of the guardrails 554. In an example embodiment, the guard control switch 562 is disguised, e.g., located on an underside of the guardrail 554, has the appearance of a portion of the guardrail 554, and/or has the appearance of a fastener such as a screw or bolt like those used to construct the guard assembly 550. In other example, the guard control switch 562 includes a safety lock, and/or is hidden from view, or otherwise not readily apparent to passersby. In other embodiments, the guard control switch 562 uses fingerprint or code recognition, to prevent unwanted operation. Such safety and control features also can be integrated with a central control system as described herein.
The guard control switch 562 is configured to enable the gate 568 of the guard assembly 550 to be lowered. In an embodiment, the guard control switch 562 is held down to enable actuation while the guard control switch 562 is held down, such that premature release of the guard control switch 562 causes the gate 568 to raise back up. After the gate 568 lowers to the fully retracted position (as illustrated in
In other embodiments, the system 500 includes a remotely mounted sensor, e.g., a proximity sensor with configurable recognition, can be used to detect obstructions near the system 500. For example, a far wall (not shown) adjacent the system 500 can mount a proximity sensor, which is configured to recognize a given (obstruction-free) configuration of the system 500, such as the illustrated “open” configuration in
In the illustrated example embodiment, the manual release and the power control switch 606 includes an emergency release electrical button and mechanical cable pull release. Regardless of in which state of actuation the doors 632 are in, pulling the manual release 606 enables gravity to act on the counterweight(s) (not visible behind cover 677; see counterweight 238 in
The top-down view of
The illustrated accessories are actuatable between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration. When retracted, the accessory 780, 781 is retracted at least partially into the support pan 714 of the opening assembly. Accordingly, the accessory 780, 781 is exposed to air beneath the floor, which can be conditioned or kept at a different temperature than above floor. In the deployed configuration, the accessory 780, 781 is at least partially accessible above the support pan 714 of the opening assembly. Accordingly, a user does not need to open or enter the system 700 to access the accessory, and can simply actuate the accessory 780, 781 for access while the doors 732 and guard 754/gate 768 remain closed/retracted.
The accessories 780, 781 are shown disposed between an outer support and an inner support 720 of the opening assembly. Accessories 780, 781 are shown as a cylindrical device and an annular shelf, which are independently deployable from the finished floor inlaid between the inner support 720 of the doors 732, and the outer support of the opening assembly. The accessories 780, 781 are configured to rise approximately four feet above floor level, and can be used for wine bottles, glass wear, or other features (e.g., provide a beverage dispenser to dispense cooled beverages stored within the wine cellar). The accessories 780, 781 thus provide easy access to contents of the underlying enclosed space/cellar, without needing to open the door(s) 732.
The accessory 780 is compact enough to fit between radial support arms 212 of the opening assembly (see
In other embodiments, the accessories 780, 781 are coupled to the handrail 754. For example, at least a portion of the handrail can be extended radially inward (as shown represented by dashed lines), to provide the floor accessory (e.g., as a shelf). Accordingly, the extended section of the handrail also serves as a floor accessory that actuates with the guardrail 754. The accessory 781 can be configured to provide storage that is accessible from outside the outer diameter of the guardrail 754 (e.g., by providing shelving that faces outward, and/or inward). In other examples, the accessory 781 extends radially outward from the guardrail 754. In other embodiments, the accessory 780 is actuatable to be at least partially accessible above the support pan 714 of the opening assembly, and is configured to dispense a fluid, e.g., as a beverage dispenser.
The accessories 780, 781 in other example embodiments can provide various functionality, such as tables, wet bars (including sinks, ice makers, full hookups for water/electrical/etc., that actuate with their accessory), chairs, and the like. In an example embodiment, two wet bars are provided in the shapes of accessory 781, positioned across from each other at the upper and lower quadrants of system 700, with two gates 768 positioned across from each other at the left and right quadrants of system 700. Accordingly, the wet bar accessories 781 in this configuration, when deployed, serve as physical barriers, with the barrier extending seamlessly between the bars and the adjoining upper rails of the two gates. Another ring of actuated assemblies can be extended around the illustrated rings of
The example embodiment of
In an example embodiment, the doors 732 in the open configuration mechanically prevent the guard assembly from retracting, ensuring that the guard assembly remains safely deployed. For example, the doors 732 are opened to position the ends of the doors 732 laterally extending beneath the deployed guard assembly. Accordingly, the guardrail 754 is mechanically prevented from fully retracting by interference from the doors 732. In an example embodiment, the guardrail 754 is deployable to a height of 42 inches, and the doors 732 are configured to stop the guardrail 754 from retracting lower than 36 inches (e.g., to comply with a guardrail height regulation). In another example, the underside of the guardrail includes a stopper rod (not shown) extending downward toward the edges of the opened doors 732, to stop the guardrail from retracting earlier. For example, with the 42 inch guardrail height and 36 inch door edge height, the guardrail can be installed with a 6 inch stopper, such that the guardrail is prevented from any retraction movement if the doors are fully open as illustrated in
The mount gas spring 846 is configured to provide variable opening bias to the actuated arm 837. For example, in the illustrated closed position, the actuated arm 837 is positioned to align the mount gas spring 846 with an axle of the door hinge. Accordingly, when the door 832 is in the closed configuration, the mount gas spring 846 does not bias the door 832 open or closed (in contrast to the open position shown in
The door actuation system 834 is configured and structured to fit within tight space constraints of the enclosed space, guard assembly, access assembly, storage assembly, and other aspects of the overall system. The counterweight 838 swings in a relatively short arc, without interfering with the guard assembly. The counterweight 838 is sculpted to conform to an area beneath the support gap. For example, the counterweight 838 is formed as an arc (e.g., see an inside arc of an embodiment of the counterweight 1138 as shown in
The mount gas spring 846 is mounted low toward a bottom of the mount 840, to achieve an angle (indicated by dashed line) consistent with controlling the spring's torque delivery to the door 832, and consistent with enhancing the doors 832 opening fully at an aesthetically pleasing 90 degrees. The counterweight 838 is configured to balance the door 832, and the location of the hinge relative to the door 832 and sub-floor counterweight 838 (e.g., the counterweight arms 836 being offset to accommodate the hinge axis being positioned sub-floor, while the doors are above-floor), results in a slightly off-balance configuration. Accordingly, the mount gas spring 846 provides additional and adjustable bias for the balancing of the door/counterweight balance. Thus, in an example embodiment, the door/counterweight bottom-heavy balance naturally assumes an 85 degree orientation, and the mount gas spring 846 provides additional bias to achieve an example optimal angle for that embodiment of 90 degrees. In alternate embodiments, the door/counterweight system and geometry (e.g., offset from hinge angle, relative recess of the arms relative to the hinge angle and floor) can be naturally balanced for other angles, including angles of 90 degrees that do not use a gas spring to achieve that 90 degree balance. When the door is closed, the mount gas springs 846 are aligned to merely to push radially toward the axis of the door hinge (as indicated in dashed line), thereby not exerting a rotational force on the door 832. In an example embodiment, the mount gas springs 846 provide less than 135 pounds of force with the doors 832 closed, and more than 50 pounds with the doors 832 open. The springs are illustrated as gas springs, but other (e.g., coil) springs are contemplated to create a moment/torque on the door hinge shaft, to apply torque to the shaft when the doors are in the open position, coupled with the offset from the hinge shaft to enable a predetermined force suitable for the engineered geometry. The springs 846 are arranged and connected to maximize the moment/torque when in the doors 832 are in the open configuration, and not to apply that type of moment/torque when the door is in the closed position.
The trunnion 948 of the actuator 947 is secured by the trunnion collar 949 secured in an enlarged seat 943 of the slot 942 of the mount 940. The trunnion collar 949 is manually releasable to enable the trunnion 948 to slide in the slot 942 of the mount 940 by action of the door 932 passively opening via movement of the counterweight 938 and/or torque from the spring 946. The slot 942 of the mount 940 also includes trunnion release section 944 to allow the trunnions 948 of the actuator 947 to be disengaged from the slot 942 of the mount 940. For example, the pin 941 of the actuator 947 can be removed, and the actuator 947 slid further forward than the configuration illustrated in
In an embodiment, the door actuators 947 include a brake on the actuator motor, which automatically engages in a power loss condition, and holds the actuator in its current position, which holds the doors 932 in their positions. Accordingly, the door actuator(s) 947 can be released (e.g., using a manual pull cable or battery-operated electronic solenoid) to allow the door(s) to open. In an embodiment, a clevis pin (see pin 941 in
In another embodiment, the trunnion collar 949 is removable from the trunnion 948 of the actuator in order to mechanically release the door actuators 947. The trunnion collars 949 are too large to slide out of their seats 943 into the slots 942. However, removing the trunnion collar 949 (e.g., by pulling outward along an axis of the trunnion 948), enables the relatively smaller diameter of the trunnion 948 to slide in the slot 943 to position the trunnions 948 in the release section 944 for removal. The trunnion collars 949 remain in place in the seats 943 and trunnions 948 during normal operation, or during use of an electrical safety override switch to override a control system and drive the actuators. The trunnion collars 949 can be provided as bushings or bearings of suitable material (e.g., brass bushings), to facilitate pivoting of the actuators 947 about the trunnions 948. The trunnion collars 949 are manually releasable, e.g., directly via a wire/pulley arrangement connected to a manual hand pull, which is accessible from the access assembly inside the enclosed space (e.g., via manual hand pull 606 in
In another embodiment, the support arms 1012 (shown as two individual arms in
In other example embodiments, the linear actuators 1264 can be provided as a rack and pinion system having a rotating gear actuator to drive a rack disposed on a shaft of the guard assembly 1250.
The shafts 1258 of the guard assembly 1250 are supported by at least one linear bearing 1260, to slidably engage at least one shaft 1258 of the guard assembly 1250. At least one shaft 1258 has a customized diameter profile along a length of the at least one shaft 1258. In an example, the shaft 1258 has a wider diameter at one or more ends of the shaft, and narrower diameter away from the one or more ends of the shaft.
As illustrated, the gate 1268 spans one quarter circumference of the guard assembly 1250, and the guardrail 1254 spans the remaining three quarters circumference of the quadrant. Each of the three quadrants of the guardrail 1254 are braced with a set of two counter balancing gas springs 1252. The springs 1252 reduce the effective weight of the guardrail 1254, to an effective weight as little as zero in an embodiment, allowing the actuators 1264 to move more easily, faster, to carry more external load, and also to increase the safety of pinch points when closing by reducing the effective weight and increasing sensitivity to obstructions. The geometry of the spring layout is engineered to accommodate the cylindrical contents enclosed by the springs 1252 and guard assembly 1250, while remaining tight to the annular cylinder of the guardrail 1254 itself.
In other example embodiments, an underside of the guardrail 1254 and/or the upper rail of the gate 1268 includes a sensor (e.g., knife-edge sensor) to detect pressure, thereby detecting any obstructions beneath the guardrail 1254 and/or gate 1268, and allowing a control system to stop retraction of the guard assembly (and/or reverse the direction). In other embodiments, a sensor (e.g., a ring pressure gauge) is disposed between an upper face of one or more shafts of the guard assembly and a lower face of the guardrail 1254 and/or upper rail of the gate 1268. Accordingly, the system can detect an obstruction via a change in pressure between the rails and the shafts.
The guardrail and the gate fit around the inner diameter of the support gap 1322, e.g., the outside diameter of the storage assembly stack of wall accessories (not visible in
From an engineering perspective, it is very difficult to independently actuate two shafts coupled together and slidably mounted via linear bearings, without causing binding at the bearings, even if the bearings are floating bearings. For example, over time, the actuators can deploy at slightly different rates, or begin movement at slightly different times. Even milliseconds of timing difference, or imperceptible actuation speeds, between two actuators can shift the orientation of the coupled shafts relative to the bearings, causing the actuated assembly of shafts to tilt relative to the bearings, resulting in binding of the shafts in the bearings. Such timing and speed issues are further exacerbated with increases in the length of the shaft and actuated stroke. Independently actuating four shafts coupled together and mounted via linear bearings is practically impossible without binding. However, the various example embodiments described herein have addressed such issues, and enable the use of any arbitrary number of shafts to be independently actuated, coupled together as a unit (e.g., as a guard assembly with tops and bottoms of the shafts coupled together via rails/supports), and slidably mounted via the shafts on linear bearings, without risk of binding the shafts in the bearings, regardless of the length of the shaft and stroke. Accordingly, embodiments described herein retain the strength and solid feel of a sturdy guard assembly, while enabling the entire assembly to be slidably actuated and supported by linear bearings, while enjoying a relatively long shaft and stroke length.
In an embodiment, the bearings 1460 are compensated bearings, which accommodate alignment variations and shaft strokes of approximately 10 inches. However, the guard assembly 1450 includes over 10 or 20 shafts that are coupled together and actuated together, over relatively much longer strokes, e.g., 42 inches. Such an engineered configuration risks breaking the bearings 1460, and/or prematurely wearing out the shafts 1458. For example, creating a moment greater than two-to-one of the sideways vs vertical loads, would result in binding. However, using a shaft whose entire diameter is reduced introduces slop into the guard assembly 1450 (including when fully deployed and/or retracted), causing the guard assembly 1450 to feel loose and sloppy when leaned on and/or stepped upon, because of the slop/play even when fully deployed, running contrary to the premium upscale aesthetics and engineering of the guard assembly 1450.
The varying diameter profile 1407, along the length of the stroke/length of the shaft 1407, enable the example embodiments of the guard assembly 1450 to make use of multiple shafts 1458 having relatively long strokes compared to the position of the paired bearings 1460. The use of linear bearings 1460, in contrast to roller bearings, also enables more flexibility in shaft material, e.g., the shafts 1458 do not require a harder steel such as chrome or hardened steel, and can use softer more aesthetically pleasing materials such as stainless steel. In an embodiment, the shafts 1458 are non-magnetic 300-series stainless steel, and have the diameter profile 1407 to ensure the guard assembly 1450 avoids slop, while also avoiding binding and premature shaft wear. In an embodiment, the linear bearings 1460 are based on frelon low-friction sliding material. In other embodiments, the linear bearings 1460 are based on rollers or ball bearings.
In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter profile 1407 corresponds to a larger diameter cylinder at the bottom of the shaft, to fully engage the rated diameter of one and/or both linear bearings 1460. The diameter of the shaft then reduces, to a smaller diameter that prevents binding and ensures smooth actuation and retraction throughout the stroke of the guard assembly.
The rate of change of the diameter profile 1407 can be based on various approaches, such as a taper along a majority of the shaft length, and/or a single reduction at a specific shaft position, multiple discrete changes in diameter along the shaft length, and other combinations. The diameter profile 1407 enables many actuated shafts 1458 to be kept parallel, whether actuated in motion, or held steady. Users can interact with the guard assembly 1450, which provides a firm steady handrail, without slop or unsteadiness, by virtue of the diameter profile 1407. The diameter profile 1407 enables the sides of the shafts to deviate imperceptibly from true parallel, providing the appearance of aesthetically pleasing parallel shafts, while allowing the sides of the shafts to have enough diameter variation for enhanced operation without binding. In other example embodiments, the diameter profile 1407 gives the shafts a noticeably non-parallel configuration for a noticeable aesthetic (e.g., slanted or tapered) effect and smoother operation. The lower extent of the shafts 1458 (and/or upper extent, in some embodiments) serve as a small subset of the entire shaft length, corresponding to the illustrated configuration of
The shaft 1458 is shown with two linear bearings 1460 to position the shaft 1458. The two linear bearings 1460 are spaced apart from each other by approximately seven inches. In other examples, a greater or fewer number of linear bearings 1460 are used. For example, three (or more) linear bearings 1460 can be used to stabilize the same shaft, providing stability spread across more than one linear bearing 1460. The diameter profile thus can correspondingly vary between each location on the shaft corresponding to a location of a linear bearing (e.g., the shaft has full diameter at each of the three locations of the bearings when the shaft is fully deployed, and tapers to a reduced diameter outside the extent of the bearings. In other examples, that shaft can employ three different diameter profiles, above each of the three bearing positions at the fully deployed shaft. The shafts 1458, in the deployed configuration, extend another 42 inches above floor level, for a total of approximately 54-⅛ inches for an example shaft length. In some embodiments, one of the linear bearings 1460, either the upper or the lower, corresponds to the location of the shaft 1458 where the full diameter is contained. For example, if the full diameter of the shaft 1458 is located at the upper bearing 1460, then the shaft diameter at the lower bearing and remainder of the upper shaft are reduced, and vice versa. In other embodiments, the upper and lower bearings 1460 both correspond to a full diameter, and the intervening shaft length between the linear bearing positions can be full diameter and/or can use a reduced diameter or diameter profile. The diameter profile 1407 can be used to provide a rate of engagement that avoids jerking movement of the actuated guard assembly, in view of an actuation rate and angle of deflection allowed by the diameter profile 1407. For example, the diameter profile 1407 includes a taper that follows a mathematical pattern, or transitions to the full diameter asymptotically, parabolically, or according to other mathematical expressions.
In an example embodiment, the diameter profile 1407 is engineered to accommodate a linear bearing float feature, which allows the linear bearing 1460 to accommodate approximately ½ degree deflection in either direction, allowing the linear bearing to align itself. Accordingly, a non-symmetric diameter profile 1407 can be used. A combination of different diameter profiles 1407 can be spread across multiple different shafts 1458. For example, first diameter profiles 1407 can be used on even numbered shafts 1458, and second diameter profiles 1407 can be used on odd numbered shafts 1458. The first and second diameter profiles 1407 can be complementary in nature, to ensure that binding and premature wear are avoided, while also minimizing slop in the guard assembly 1450. In other embodiments, one half of the full guard assembly circumference worth of the shafts use a first diameter profile, and the other half use a second diameter profile. In another embodiment, the second diameter profile of the remaining half is a full diameter, non-tapered straight shaft, allowing the first half of the guard assembly to float, and the remaining half to be fixed.
The bearing mounting plates 1413 are used to mount the linear bearings 1460 on the support arms 1412. The bearing plates 1413 include slotted holes to allow for some adjustment of the linear bearing orientation. If the deployed guard assembly 1450 were pushed, the upper linear bearing 1460 and the lower linear bearing would stabilize the guard assembly 1450, resisting moments/torque induced by extremely large forces by virtue of the multiple linear bearings and the multiple shafts 1407.
In the illustrated example, the guard assembly 1450 has 26 shafts. Each of eight support arms 1412 has two linear bearings on each side, four total per support arm 1412, with 16 shafts for the guardrail portion of the guard assembly, along with the actuator itself which provides a shaft as a screw with a covering sleeve. The actuator shaft is attached in six places along the guard assembly 1450. Accordingly, there are 26 shafts and six actuators for the guardrail (and additional for the gate). The actuator shafts provide six additional shafts, for 32 total.
In example embodiments, the actuator rod 1466, which is extendable from the actuator, is used as part of the guard assembly rail system, wherein the actuator rod 1466 itself serves as a shaft in conjunction with the shafts 1458. In other example embodiments, a plurality of actuator rods 1466 provide support for the guard assembly 1450, by taking the place of at least one shaft 1458. In an embodiment, the guard assembly 1450 does not include shafts 1458, and is supported by a plurality of actuator rods 1466, e.g., spaced apart by four inches from each other going around the guard assembly 1450.
The customized diameter profile 1407 of the shaft 1458 enables the system to lock in place the guard assembly 1450 when deployed (or retracted, optionally), while avoiding binding in a multi-shaft parallel shaft configuration. This avoids binding and/or premature wear in the bearings 1460 and/or the actuators.
The illustrated landing 1575 is a wedge of 90 degrees, and includes a cutout to receive an inlay such as stone or transparent laminated glass. In alternate examples, the landing 1575 is solid, e.g., metal. The steps 1576 are steel, and similar to the landing 1575, can include an insert such as stone, concrete, glass, quartz, and the like. The various structural members can be formed of metal such as steel or aluminum.
The strength of the example staircase is provided via the webbing 1578, enabling the steps to be cantilevered without a need for an exterior support, thereby using that freed exterior space to increase the side-to-side clearance for the ingress/egress path along the staircase.
The illustrated features of the staircase enabled the achievement of additional clearance also by having a reduced newel post 1574 and central support 1572, smaller than what is found in an off-the-shelf spiral staircase. Because reducing the diameter of the post 1574 and central support 1572 is associated with a corresponding reduction in strength of the central support 1572 of the staircase, the illustrated access assembly 1570 provides strength through the steps 1576 themselves, e.g., via the webbing and the vertical coupling of the steps to each other. Thus, the lateral clearance of the staircase is maximized, without requiring that the steps 1576 be connected to the wall of the enclosed space and/or blocks of the storage assembly. The steps 1576 are coupled to each other via reinforced webbing, to protect the central support 1572 from bending or deforming when under load.
The webbing 1678 of the steps 1676 are welded together, providing strength in the steps 1678 themselves (independent of the central support 1672), and allowing for a reduced diameter of the central support 1672 and newel post 1674 inside the central support 1672. In the illustrated embodiment, the steps 1676 are designed so that the webbing 1678 of one step 1676 is fixed to the top of the next step 1676. Accordingly, heavy duty welding is not needed between the steps 1676 and the central support 1672, and just enough welding is used, sufficient to secure the steps 1676 to the central support 1672. In an embodiment, the central support 1672 is removed entirely, with the structural integrity provided by the stairs 1676 and their webbing 1678. The handrail 1673 complies with code, formed as a helical structure going around the central support 1672.
Referring to
In block 1720, at least one door of the opening assembly is actuated, from a closed configuration in which the at least one door is flush with the opening assembly, to an open configuration to provide ingress and egress through the opening assembly. For example, a pair of semicircular doors form a circle when closed, and open to a full 90 degree orientation for ample headroom.
In block 1730, at least a portion of an access assembly is actuated for ingress and egress through the opening assembly. For example, an elevator is moved to a loading position to accept at least one person. In other examples, a newel post of a staircase is extended.
In block 1740, the gate of the guard assembly is actuated to a retracted configuration flush with the opening assembly for ingress and egress through the guard assembly. For example, a quarter segment of the guard assembly is formed as a gate that is separately actuatable, independent of the guardrail (remaining three-quarters of the guard assembly), doors, and access assembly. In an example, the gate operates according to a dead man's switch, which is hidden from view.
In another example, the opening assembly includes various accessories, and the control system is further configured to actuate an accessory coupled to the opening assembly, from a retracted configuration flush with the opening assembly, to a deployed configuration accessible above the opening assembly. An accessory can be provided as an extension of the guard assembly, such that actuation of the guardrail serves to deploy the accessory (e.g., a shelf provided as an extension of the guardrail).
Example embodiments of the systems described herein can use a control screen for information display and for receiving commands, while also housing a system controller. A large touchscreen, e.g., 10 inches, serves as a display to show illustrations, instructions, provide an interactive keypad screen, provide an open/close screen, provide a message screen (“stand clear from cellar,” “wine cellar occupied—screen locked,” and the like). The control screen can be wirelessly interfaced with the system.
In an embodiment, the following operating sequence and fail safes are used.
1. Wine cellar is closed; handrail, guard, and doors are actuated in closed, or down, positions. Cellar door and guard are flush with floor.
2. User approaches user touchscreen mounted on nearby wall and inputs four-digit code to activate cellar opening sequence. Simultaneously, panel flashes with verbiage of “Stand clear from cellar,” (Visual safety #1); lights in cellar begin to flash (Visual safety #2); female voice states, “Stand clear of cellar and railing” (Audible alarm #1); and alarm beeps (Audible alarm #2).
3. Guard begins to rise. (Fail safe #1: Guard will not rise if anyone is standing on it due to sensors on circuit control.)
4. Guard rises to 42-inch high position and is friction-locked in place.
5. Cellar doors begin to open once guard is in the up position. (Fail safe #2: Doors will not rise if anyone is standing on them due to sensors on circuit control; sequence stops and reverses; guard lowers and user touchscreen resets.)
6. Doors fully open and center post handrail rises from center column to provide 36-inch high handrail at landing.
7. User leaves user touchscreen and walks to guard, pushes momentary guard control switch, and ¼ section of guard retracts into floor to allow entry and is friction-locked in place. (Fail safe #3: guard switch cannot activate until doors and handrail are fully open.) (Fail safe #4: Any obstruction will prevent section of guard from lowering or raising due to sensors on circuit control; guard will stop and reset.) (Audible and visual alarms per Step #2 are in effect again.)
8. User and guests step inside of guard onto stair landing; guests enter cellar. User releases momentary guard control switch, guard raises, user touchscreen resets to code input mode and indicates “Wine cellar occupied—screen locked.” (Fail safe #5: Wall panel cannot activate guard while any motion is detected inside cellar.)
9. User retrieves wine from cellar. (Fail safe #6: If there is a power failure, doors in up position remain open since they are counter weighted, have redundant pneumatic pistons, as well as actuators that are friction locked.)
10. User walks up stairs to landing, pushes momentary guard control switch, and ¼ section of guard retracts into floor to allow exit. (Audible and visual alarms per Step #2 are in effect again.)
11. User and guests exit landing, user releases momentary guard control switch, guard raises, and user walks back to user touchscreen. (Audible and visual alarms per Step #2 are in effect until guard is fully raised.) (Fail safe #7: If doors are accidentally closed with someone inside there are several options: 1) user can activate door from user touchscreen, 2) emergency electrical safety override switch can be pushed from inside cellar, or 3) manual release pull can be used.) The cellar has been designed with redundant systems to prevent the possibility of cellar doors closing while occupied. However, in case of an unforeseen condition, redundant exit strategies are also provided.
12. User inputs four-digit code to reactivate user touchscreen and presses “close” button to retract handrail first, then cellar doors close, then guard lowers. The beginning sequence is repeated in reverse. (Audible and visual alarms per Step #2 are in effect again.) (Fail safe #8: Handrail will only retract if cellar interior sensors do not trigger.)
13. Cellar is now closed.
In example embodiments, an entire control system is custom programmed for operating the various actuators of the various assemblies of the system. Accordingly, various aesthetically pleasing actuation flourishes are included, such as synchronized movements, or components starting from a coupled position and moving at different rates to then synchronize and reunite simultaneously. In an example, the door actuates based on a short pop of 1 inch from the floor, pausing for a half second, and then continuing up. The short pop provides a noticeable visual flourish as well as a safety feature, serving notice to bystanders that the gate will be actuating soon (enabling bystanders to step back or otherwise get out of the way). In another example embodiment, the actuation of the gate and guardrail is controlled such that the height of the gate does not exceed the height of the guardrail. For example, when deploying from the floor position, the guardrail begins deploying first, and later the gate deploys, to eventually catch up with the guardrail in reaching the deployed configuration of the guard assembly. When retracting from the deployed position, the gate begins retracting first, to remain below a level of the guardrail, while both complete the retraction motion. Various custom safety features are enabled, such as the gate rising back into place if the dead man's switch is released before the gate is fully lowered for access. Once fully lowered, a programmed time delay of a predetermined duration, e.g., 15 seconds, is used before the gate raises back up. This process can be used for ingress or egress, e.g., when the user returns back out of the cellar and needs to lower the gate again (which had already automatically raised up for safety, while they were inside the cellar).
In an embodiment, the system includes a control panel, e.g., installed on a wall of the room installed with the cellar. The control panel includes controls enabling a user to present a fingerprint or access code to open the cellar door and raise the guardrail. The gate can default to a deployed configuration until a fingerprint is recognized by the sensor on the guardrail, e.g., located next to the doors of the opening assembly, and/or built into the guardrail.
In an embodiment, the system is capable of storing and recognizing multiple fingerprints, and also is programmed to identify which specific fingerprint was used to lower the gate, and to refuse other fingerprints until the specific fingerprint is received before again lowering the gate. Accordingly, the system is capable of admitting a user into the cellar via fingerprint, and denying entry of others until that person exits the cellar. The system can be programmed to enable recognition of select programmed individuals, as selected by an administrator, and deny others. In other embodiments, other forms of user authentication are used, such as retina scan, facial detection, voice recognition, or other biometric authentication. Non-biometric forms of authentication can be used, such as using a security token, radio-frequency identification (RFID), one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes (QR codes), and the like.
The various actuated system are capable of detecting anomalies and defaulting to a safe operation and/or condition in response. For example, when the doors are closing and the controller detects an over-torque value from the door actuators (e.g., due to some resistance in door movement), the controller will direct the door actuators to slowly reverse the motion of the doors toward the open configuration, and stop at a safe 80-degree (nearly fully open) position just shy of the full 90-degree open configuration. In the safe configuration, the system can request a new cycle of the guard gate dead man's switch being pressed, to then reset and close the doors again. The brake system of the actuators further enhances safety, allowing the controller to halt the system quickly and safely in situations other than power failure, such as when an over torque is sensed in the system.
In an embodiment, the last six inches of the retraction of the gate into the floor is performed under a substantially limited torque condition, using a relatively much lower torque value compared to other portions of the actuation, in order to provide safety (e.g., protect feet being pinched under the upper gate support as it approaches floor level for full retraction of the gate). The control system records values of motor torque (e.g., plots the torque over time) so that over time, e.g., years, data is accumulated for normal behavior, allowing the system to recognize deviations from such a large body of data to be able to classify such deviations as abnormal functions that the system then reports to the manufacturer for an automatically generated servicing request or inspection.
Examples of the control systems provided herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Example systems can include a processor and memory resources for executing instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory medium (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and/or computer readable media). Non-transitory computer-readable medium can be tangible and have computer-readable instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to implement examples according to the present disclosure.
An example system (e.g., including a controller and/or processor of a computing device) can include and/or receive a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) to execute the methods described above and below in the claims. For example, a system can execute instructions to direct an opening assembly system engine to open and close doors, and a guard assembly system engine to deploy and retract a guardrail, gate, and access assembly, wherein the engine(s) include any combination of hardware and/or software to execute the instructions described herein. As used herein, the processor can include one or a plurality of processors such as in a parallel processing system. The memory can include memory addressable by the processor for execution of computer readable instructions. The computer readable medium can include volatile and/or non-volatile memory such as a random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic memory such as a hard disk, floppy disk, and/or tape memory, a solid state drive (“SSD”), flash memory, phase change memory, and so on.
This application is a continuation of U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/396,687 entitled “Actuatable Assemblies” filed on Apr. 27, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16396687 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 17963083 | US |
