Revolving doors

The present invention concerns a revolving door device having arcuate screens arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the passage space constituting part of the revolving door closely adapted to the fixed outer walls of the device. Said screens being connected with each other through a partition wall divided up in three sections having the central section openable. The respective outer sections is aligned along a chord of the circular space so that when said screens are in a position for access to the respective passage spaces, a free through path may be obtained from entrance opening to the outer through the openable central section in case of emergency.

Revolving doors are a usual solution to the problem of making a boundary 
between an internally heated space and outdoor conditions, for example. 
The revolving door forms a kind of airlock, and the simpliest form thereof 
consists of four door leaves attached to a vertical shaft and arranged in 
a turnstile-like structure. The door leaves are arranged to have their 
outer edges gliding along cylindrically arcuate wall surfaces, which form 
the passage space. 
On the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a 
conventional revolving door seen from above. This revolving door consists 
of 4 door leaves 1, 2, 3, 4 mounted on a central vertical shaft 5. The 
outer free edges of the leaves 1-4 are disposed for gliding along 
cylindrical wall portions 6, 7 forming between them entrance openings 8, 
9. The space formed between two door leaves, e.g. leaves 1 and 4, and the 
opposing cylindrical wall surface 6 can allow a through transport volume 
of an extension illustrated by the chain-dotted rectangle 10. The 
rectangle can naturally represent one or more persons or a shopping 
trolley, for example. There is a general desire to increase the transport 
space while retaining the advantages of a revolving door. 
A solution of the problem mentioned is, in essentials, to arrange two 
curved screens diametrically opposing within a space defined by fixed 
cylindrical walls with openings as with a conventional revolving door. In 
the space between the cylindrical wall a partition wall is arranged on a 
diameter and such as to join onto the appropriate long edge of the arcuate 
screen, the screens being suspended such that they follow the curve of the 
cylindrical walls. There is now obtained an arrangement haveing two 
passage spaces in coaction with the surrounding cylindrical side walls 
simultaneously as conventional revolving door air-lock function is 
retained. 
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the implementation of a revolving door 
having only one partition wall as seen from above i.e. from the same 
direction of view as the revolving door to FIG. 1. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate different positions of views for the door of FIG. 
2. 
It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the cylindrical walls 11, 12 are less than 
half-cylindrical to allow for the formation of entrance openings 13, 14. 
Between the walls 11, 12 there are arranged two screens or panels 15, 16, 
which are curved to suit the walls 11, 12. A rotatably mounted wall 18 is 
arranged between the screens 15, 16 at their forward edges in the 
direction of rotation 17. When the wall 18 is urged in the direction of 
the arrow 17, the screens 15, 16 will accompany it with their outer sides 
following the surfaces of walls 11, 12. In FIG. 3 it will be seen that the 
arrangement has been rotated so that the screen 15 covers the entrance 
opening 14, and the screen 16 covers the entrance opening 13. The 
revolving door thus blocks both entrances in this position, and if the 
arrangement is locked in this position obtained closing off of the 
entrance openings 13 and 14 is obtained. 
FIG. 4 illustrates the arrangement in the position in which the wall 18 
together with the respective walls 11, 12 forms the passage space 19, 20, 
which is more commodious than is the case with the revolving door in FIG. 
1. A dashed rectangle 21 is drawn in the passage space 19 to illustrate 
the available space for persons or objects in passage through the 
revolving door. As will be seen, the arrangement is basically simple, but 
is a solution to the problem of increasing transport capacity through 
revolving doors. 
The present invention is based on the type of door illustrated in FIGS. 
2-4. In the implementation of revolving doors it is essential to take 
safety aspects into consideration as well as those of transport space. In 
the case of emergency evacuation of a building, revolving doors can often 
constitute an obstacle to passage, which in turn can easily lead to panic. 
The present invention relates to a solution of both the transport capacity 
problem and the safety problem in this type of revolving door. An 
essential distinguishing feature of the invention is that the partition 
wall denoted by 18 in FIGS. 2-4 is made in at least three sections at 
angles to each other. These sections are suspended in a turntable 
structure disposed above the door and thus have no connection with the 
floor substructure. Furthermore, the central section is arranged openable, 
so that a substantially free passage may be formed between both entrance 
openings. The turntable arrangement is preferably driven by machine and 
adapted for rotation as soon as a person enters or an object is inserted 
into the passage space. Further safety paths and emergency routes may be 
established in an arrangement in accordance with the invention. The 
distinguishing features of the present invention are disclosed in the 
following claims.

The arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 includes six posts 22, 23, 24, 
25, 26 and 27. Posts 23 and 26 coact with the edges 28 and 29 of the 
opening in a wall. The posts 22-27 are fixed to the floor structure 30 in 
a manner not more closely illustrated. Between the posts 22 and 23 there 
is an arcuate wall portion 31 which is contiguous to an arcuate door 
pivotably suspended on the post 23 and equivalent to the wall portion 31. 
There is a further arcuate wall portion 33 between the post 23 and post 
24. One entrance opening 34 is situated between the posts 24 and 25, there 
being an arcuate wall portion 35 between the posts 25 and 26, the wall 
portion 35, similar to the wall portion 31, being contiguous to a door 36, 
similar to the door 32 and suspended on the post 26. Between the post 26 
and the post 27 there is a further arcuate wall portion, while the other 
entrance opening 38 is situated between the posts 22 and 27. 
Attachments are arranged at the upper end of the posts 22-27 for rollers 39 
carrying a circular rail 40, which has a T-shaped cross section. This rail 
carries a frame 41 in which the rotating door sections are suspended, and 
which also carry panels 42 formed into arcuate sectors, and which form a 
stiffening structure part. On diagonally opposite sides there are two 
arcuate panels 43 and 44 suspended in the frame 41, there being a wall 
portion 46 and 47, respectively, extended at an angle from the forward 
edges of the respective panels 43, 44 in the direction of rotation 45 of 
the arrangement. Between the inner end of the wall portions 46 and 47 
there extend two arcuate wall panels 48 and 49 out towards the arcuate 
panels 43 and 44, respectively. Between the inner ends of the wall 
sections 46 and 47 there extend two pivotably suspended doors 50 and 51, 
disposed in mutual alignment. These doors are normally kept in the 
position illustrated in FIG. 5, but can be made to swing in an emergency 
by the application of a given pressure against them. 
The whole of the turntable arrangement with the T-shaped rail 40 is rotated 
in the direction of the arrow 45 by driving means controlled primarily by 
sensor means 53 and 54 disposed at the posts 27 and 24, respectively, for 
monitoring the entrance openings 38 and 34. Two further sensor means 55 
and 56 are disposed on the wall sections 46 and 47 in the direction of 
rotation, to enable stopping the turntable arrangement should a person or 
object come too near one of the movable walls 46 or 47. As will be seen 
from FIGS. 7 and 8, the posts 22-27 are upwardly united with each other by 
diagonally positioned beams 57, 58 and 59. Under the attachment means for 
these beams there are mounting means 60 for the rollers 39, on which one 
flange surface of the rail 40 rests the driving means are attached to 
either end of the beam 59 and consist of an electric motor 61, which is 
coupled by an unillustrated gear to a drive wheel 62 acting against the 
other flange of the T-rail 40. The electric motors are adapted for being 
controlled by unillustrated control equipment, to which the sensor means 
53-56 are connected. The driving means is normally set such that the state 
illustrated in FIG. 5 prevails, i.e. such that there is free entrance to 
the revolving door spaces from both entrance openings 34 and 38. It is 
important that the rail rotates in an exactly defined path. To achieve 
this there are further horizontal rollers 63 mounted in members 64 
attached to the respective mounting means 60. The entire mounting means is 
adjustable in height by a set screw 65. 
The arrangement functions in the following way. It is assumed that a person 
passes through the entrance opening 38, thus energizing the sensor means 
53, which results in that the turntable arrangement starts to move, i.e. 
the turntable arrangement with the T-shaped rail 40 and wall sections 
hanging on the frame 48 begin to rotate in the direction of the arrow 45, 
i.e. about a geometric axis going through the area where the doors 50 and 
51 meet each other. The person can continue to move in the space in a 
direction towards the arcuate wall section 49, which is moving in a 
direction away from the person. In a given position both arcuate panels 43 
and 44 cover the respective entrance openings 38 and 34. After further 
rotation, the openings are once again uncovered, and when rotation stops 
the wall section 46 will stand adjacent post 25, and the wall section 47 
will stand adjacent post 22. Long before this position has been arrived 
at, the opening 34 has already been uncovered, so that the person can move 
out from the revolving door arrangement. 
The following should be emphasized with regard to the safety aspects. Let 
it now be assumed that the revolving door is in the position illustrated 
in FIG. 5 and that the emergency exiting through the opening 34 has been 
called for. People can then move into the space inside the opening 34, 
which is defined by the wall sections 43, 48, 50, 51 and 47. By pressing 
against the doors 50 and 51 at the centre of the arrangement, these are 
urged from their latch engagement and can be swung out so that the door 50 
will come against the wall section 46 and the door 51 against the wall 
sections 49 and 44. This is quite clear from FIGS. 9 and 10. As will be 
seen there is now a free path between the openings 34 and 38. As a result 
of the angular attitude of the wall sections 46 and 47 relative to the 
diagonal through the apparatus, there is consequently achieved that a 
passage is formed when the doors 50 and 51 are swung out, this passage 
having a width substantially the same as that of the entrance openings 34 
and 38. 
If the condition should now occur that during rotation of the revolving 
door both panels 43 and 44 come into a position entirely covering the 
openings 38 and 34, and stop in this position for some reason, persons in 
the spaces have the possibility of getting out even so, which is clear 
from the FIGS. 11 and 12. If, as before, a person has passed through the 
entrance opening 38 and both openings have been blocked after a given 
rotation, the door 36 is uncovered for opening, i.e. after being actuated 
it can be opened out into adjacent space. If, for some reason, exiting 
needs to take place through the door opposite, i.e. door 32, this can 
easily be done by opening the doors 50 and 51 for free passage to the 
adjacent space. If the arrangement has fastened in the last-mentioned 
position as described, and total evacuation should be necessary, this can 
take place even in the position now in question, by the doors 32 and 36 
being opened as well as the doors 50 and 51. As will be clearly seen from 
FIG. 12, there is similarly formed a free passage which is substantially 
the same as the width of the openings for the doors 32 and 36. 
If the arrangement were to jam on rotation in a position such that the 
arcuate panels 43 and 44 stopped directly opposite the respective post 23 
and 26, a free evacuation path can be provided even so, by the doors 50 
and 51 being opened. In practice, the driving means functions 
automatically such should there be a break in current supply, the 
turntable arrangement always being brought into a position such as is 
represented by FIG. 5. This means that the passage space can always be 
evacuated via one of the entrance openings 34 or 38. 
As discussed in the introduction, it is important in revolving doors of the 
kind in question to provide as comfortable and voluminous passage space as 
possible, which can also be appropriate for forming a simple transport 
path for wheelchairs, for example. Furthermore, it is usual for customers 
in stores to take shopping trolleys out to the pavement or sidewalk 
outside a store for loading or unloading a car. It is also important here 
that the entry space for this purposes is also as suitable as possible. In 
the present case, the wall sections 46 and 47 form an angle to a diagonal 
line transverse the arrangement and the plan of the doors 50 and 51. By 
this implementation there is retained the advantageous solution obtained 
with this basic type of revolving door, while at the same time the 
available passage space will be better disposed in respect of both 
entrance and space in the revolving door. It may seem unjustified to 
arrange both curved wall sections 48 and 49 in this connection, but it has 
been found in conjunction with doors of the type discussed here that space 
apprehension is of deciding importance for avoiding claustrofobic 
reactions in those passing through the door. Apart from a smooth 
definition of the room space in the direction of movement, the curved wall 
sections 48 and 49 have been found to have a positive effect on persons 
passing through the spaces. Furthermore, the space between the wall 
portion 46 and the wall portion 48 as well as between wall portions 47 and 
49 can be utilized for information purposes, e.g. information concerning 
the building to which the door leads, or for advertisement. The wall 
sections 46 and 47 should be openable in order to have access to the space 
defined by them and the wall sections 48 and 49, respectively. For 
troublefree operation of a structure of the kind above, it is of course 
important that the T-shaped rail 40 maintains its circular shape. The 
arcuate sector panels 42 have a decisive function here, and ensure the 
necessary maintanance of shape even if the frame is subjected to heavy 
stresses, e.g. during panic evacuation and the consequent hasty swinging 
open of the doors in question. By the turntable arrangement being disposed 
at ceiling level, and thus suspending the wall sections and doors in the 
revolving door arrangement, there are no thresholds or other obstacles 
which can cause trouble in a case of emergency exiting. 
Within the scope of the invention it is of course not necessary for the 
wall sections 48 and 49 to have the curved shape illustrated in the 
embodiment, for example. These can naturally be made straight as with the 
wall sections 46 and 47. In certain cases, both doors 50 and 51 may be 
replaced by a single door pivotably suspended at the edge of one of the 
wall sections 46 or 47. Although though advantageous from the practical 
point of view, it is not necessary that the arrangement is built up on 
posts 22-27, and the whole turntable arrangement be suspended from a 
ceiling in the building in question, together with outer walls 31, 32, 33 
and 35, 36, 37. 
It should be emphasized here that if it is not desired to achieve greater 
transport capacity than with a conventional revolving door according to 
FIG. 1, the whole arrangement can be made considerably smaller than a 
conventional such door, since the passage capacity is comparatively 
greater. The installation dimensions can thus be reduced. Since the place 
for movement of objects or persons will be comparatively larger compared 
with conventional solutions, the periferal speed of the door can be kept 
low while maintaining traffic intensity.