REVOLVING DOOR DEVICE

Abstract: Device for providing access to a building or space, comprising: one or more shell parts (2, 3); a plurality of door parts (4, 5, 6, 7) which are rotatable along the inside of the shell parts; and folding means for causing the door parts (4, 5, 6, 7) to be folded away into a position close to the shell parts (2, 3). Because the compact revolving door according to the present inveniton is provided with door parts (4, 5, 6, 7) which can be folded aside, a straight passage opening of sufficient width (d) is provided for instance in the case of the fire or for access of a wheelchair user. The device preferably comprises urging means (24) for holding the door parts in the folded-away position, whereby it is possible to escape from the space enclosed by the shell parts (2, 3) and the door panels (4, 5, 6, 7) counter to the force of the urging means (24). The device is preferably provided with a co-rotating ceiling construction in which all (electrical) apparatus is also arranged, and the interior of which is preferably only accessible to a service engineer.

Description: REVOLVING DOOR DEVICE Revolving doors are used on a large scale, for instance as outside doors of offices, shops, hotels, public buildings such as hospitals, airports and the like. One of the purposes of installing such revolving doors is to prevent relatively cold (or relatively warm or humid) outside air flowing into a heated (or cooled and conditioned) indoor area. A significant drawback of the known revolving doors are the door parts which form an obstacle in the case of for instance a panic situa- tion, so that because of fire regulations, a hinged door of a usual type must be fitted adjacently of such a revolving door. The arranging of such an additional hinged door entails costs and deprives a shop of for instance display space. A further drawback of known revolving doors are the problems of access for wheelchair users and for instance in hotels for tourist parties with a great deal of luggage. Seen more and more in public buildings are (electrically driven) revolving doors of much larger dimensions than the more conventional revolving doors, with the result that the problems for wheelchair users and for transport of goods are more limited. Such revolving doors of large diameter are however more expensive than smaller ones and require considerable structural provisions. Such a revolving door device is known for instance from the German Gebrauchsmuster DE-U- 9207595.9. Further known from the German patent 217165 and the British patent 167.013 are revolving doors wherein both the rotating movement and folding away of door parts must take place with manual force. In contrast, the present invention provides a device for providing access to a building or space, comprising: - one or more shell parts; - a plurality of door parts which are rotatable along the inside of the shell parts; and - drive means for rotatingly driving the door parts, characterized in that four door parts are fixed hingedly to each other in pairs and that the device is provided with folding means for causing the door parts to be folded away in pairs into the position close to the shell parts. Because the compact revolving door according to the present invention is provided with door parts which can be folded aside, a straight passage opening of sufficient width is provided for instance in the case of fire or for access of a wheelchair user. Such a wide access is likewise advantageous for instance for a hotel when a tourist group arrives with a large amount of luggage, or for a hospital if a patient on a stretcher must be carried inside quickly. The device according to the present invention preferably comprises urging means for holding the door parts in the folded-away position, whereby it is possible to escape from the space enclosed by the shell parts and the door panels counter to the force of the urging means. The device according to the present invention is preferably provided with a co-rotating ceiling construction in which all (electrical) apparatus is also arranged, and the interior of which is preferably only accessible to a service engineer. It is also recommended that the inner diameter of the cylindrical space formed by the shell parts has a dimension in the order of magnitude of two metres. This construction is of further importance in respect of the recent ideas relating to discharge of smoke in the case of fire, wherein it is now deemed more important for smoke to be able to escape easily than for the fire to be stifled. The large air supply opening together with a roof construction which is self-opening in the case of fire make it possible to create a chimney effect. This is a technique which is coming into vogue particularly in hotels. Further preferred embodiments of the device according to the present invention are described in the dependent sub-claims. The present invention further provides a method for providing access to a building or space wherein a plurality of door parts rotatable in shell parts can be folded away as required. Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be elucidated on the basis of the following description with reference to the annexed drawing, in which: fig. 1 shows a partly broken away view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention; fig. 2 shows an enlarged, partly broken away view in perspective of detail II of fig. 1; fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the device shown in fig. 1 and 2; and fig. 4 is a schematic top view of the device shown in fig. 1 and 3 during escape from the space between a shell part and the straightened door parts. A revolving door device 1 (fig. 1, 2 and 3) comprises shell walls 2, 3 along which revolving door panels 4, 5, 6 and 7 are rotatable. The revolving door panels 4-7, preferably provided with panes of fire- resistant glass, are driven using an electric motor 8 which is coupled via a schematically designated transmission mechanism 9, such as a chain, to a drive wheel 10 to which the revolving door panels 4-7 are fixedly connected. At the top the panels 4 and 5 are provided with hinges 11, 12 respectively. Also connected to panels 4-7 is a cage construction consisting of rails 27, 28 on which rollers or wheels 44, 45, 46 and 47 are arranged which roll over rails 48 during rotation of the revolving door device. The distance of each of the hinges 11 and 12 from the vertical axis of the revolving door device preferably amounts to less than about 69% of the sum of twice the width of a revolving door panel. The revolving door panels 4 and 6 are connected by means of two or more hinges 13, while door panels 5 and 7 are mutually connected by the same number of hinges 14. The revolving door panels 4-7 are held in releasable manner in the position shown in fig. l and 2 preferably using electromagnets such as magnets 21 and 21' which "adhere" to a structural member coupled fixedly to drive element 10, such as angular structural member 22. Further arranged between revolving door parts 6 and 7 is a rod construction 23, forming part of which are a gas spring and parallel rods 25 and 26. The system of rods 23 is fixed to pivot arms 30, 31 which are arranged pivotally on hinge pins 40 and 41. The revolving door panels 4 and 5 are mutually connected using gas springs 32 and 33 which are connected on each of the respective ends to a rotating element 34 which is drivable by an electric motor 35. The respective other ends are hingedly connected to pins 36 respectively 37 which are connected to the door panels 4 respectively 5 and which in their rest position rest in a manner not shown in a recess of ceiling supports. When a wheelchair user or an individual with a child's carriage or a group with suitcases arrives at a revolving door device 1 according to the present inven¬ tion (see fig. 3 in particular) or if a fire alarm is given, electric motor 35 is energized and rotating ele¬ ment 34 is rotated so that door panels 4 and 5 are urged apart by gas springs 32 and 33 after the electromagnets 21 and 21' have been switched off and are released from the associated fixed structural members. During the movement from the position drawn in fig. 3 in full lines via an intermediate position drawn in broken lines to an end position likewise shown in broken lines, wheel 20 is guided along a curved guide rail 42 and a corresponding wheel 20' along a curved guide rail 43 while hinge pins 40 and 41 move through the respective arcs shown with dash-dot lines. If in the end position shown in broken lines the inner diameter D of the revolving door device amounts to about 200 cm, a free passage is provided with a width d of roughly 125 cm, or precisely 124 cm in this embodiment. It is noted that due to the presence of gas springs it is possible with the revolving door device according to the present invention - see fig. 4 - for an individual to free himself/herself in the unlikely event he/she should be trapped in the space enclosed by a shell part and a straightened door part. If this individual presses against the relevant door panel counter to the force of a gas spring it is still possible for him/her to escape quickly and safely. The possible escape opening amounts in this embodiment to 60 cm, which may be deemed more than sufficient. Because in the revolving door device according to the present invention the mechanical components required for the operation thereof are situated in an upper construction, no provisions have to be made in the floor on which the revolving door device is situated and flat floor is retained. The rights applied for are in no way limited by the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment thereof; The rights applied for are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for providing access to a building or space, comprising: - one or more shell parts; - a plurality of door parts which are rotatable along the inside of the shell parts; and - drive means for rotatingly driving the door parts, characterized in that four door parts are fixed hingedly to each other in pairs and that the device is provided with folding means for causing the door parts to be folded away in pairs into the position close to the shell parts. 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the space formed by the shell parts has a dimension in the order of magnitude of 2 m, and wherein in the folded-away position a passage with a width of about 1.25 m is provided. 3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, provided with urging means for holding the door parts in the folded- away position. 4. Device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the urging means comprise a gas spring. 5. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gas spring exerts a small spring force such that in the folded-away position of the door parts it is possible for an individual to push away one of the door parts over a distance of about 60 cm counter to the force of the gas spring. 6. Device as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, wherein the folding means comprise a system of rods above the door parts and an electric motor. 7. Device as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, characterized by electromagnets for holding the door panels in the non-folded-away position and for releasing thereof for placing thereof in the folded-away position. 8. Method for providing access to a building, wherein a device as claimed in any of the claims 1-7 is applied.

Inventors: VERGOUW JOHANNES SEVERIJN, VERGOUW, JOHANNES, SEVERIJN
Applicants: VERGOUW JOHANNES SEVERIJN, VERGOUW, JOHANNES, SEVERIJN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E06B3
IPC codes: E05D15, E06B3