Glossary
AAADM
The American Association
of Automatic Door Manufactures.
ADA
The Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990.
ANSI
American National
Standard Institute.
ANSI A156.10
The industry standards
for power operated pedestrian doors. Published by the American National
Standard Institute.
ANSI A156.19
The industry standards
for power assist and low energy door operators. Published by the American
National Standard Institute.
ACTIVE AREA
The area or zone where motion or presence is detected.
ACTIVATION
When a sensing device or mat signals the door's control box to perform a
specific action or function.
ACTUATION
See ACTIVATION
ACTUATOR
See OPERATOR
AIR LOCK
A vestibule in which only one door (or set of doors) can be opened at a
time.
APPROACH MAT
The activating control mat placed in the usual approach side of a door.
APPROACH SENSOR
The activating control sensing device placed in the usual approach side of a
door.
ARM
See DRIVE ARM
BELT DRIVE
OPERATOR
A door operator, which utilizes a gear box and pulley system, to move a belt
(usually nylon) as a means of power transmission.
BI-PARTING
SLIDING DOORS
Two sliding door panels, moving in opposite directions, but providing one
door opening.
BREAKOUT
See PANIC BREAKOUT
CLEAR OPENING
The normal clear opening width, when the door is in the normal full open
position.
CLOSING CYCLE
When an automatic door
moves from its full open position towards its full closed position.
CLOSING CHECK
POSITION
The position of the
door's travel where its speed is reduced prior to reaching the full closed
position. Must be at least the last 2" (51 mm) of closing travel for a
sliding door and the 10 degrees of closing travel for a swinging door.
CLOSING CHECK
SPEED
The reduced rate of speed a door travels, during its final closing travel.
CLOSING SPEED
The rate of speed a door
travels towards its full closed position.
CONTROL BOX
An electronic device
which regulates and controls the door's operator.
COVER
A removable panel or case
to provide service access to the door operator.
CYCLE, CLOSING
The entire travel
distance and time elapsed, while a door moves from the full open position to
the full closed position.
CYCLE, OPENING
The entire travel
distance and time elapsed, while a door moves from the full closed position
to the full open position.
DOOR LIGHT or
DOOR LITE
The area of a door panel glazed with glass.
DOOR STILE
(No, not style) The vertical structural component of a door's edge. Narrow
door stiles are about 2" wide, medium door stiles are about 4"
wide and wide door stiles are about 5" wide.
DOOR RAIL
The horizontal structural component of a door's top and bottom edge.
Typically a narrow stile door has a 4" bottom rail, a medium or wide
stile door typically has a 6" bottom rails. High bottom rails are
typically 10".
DRIVE ARM
The mechanical device, connecting the operator to the door, which transmits
motion.
ELECTROMECHANICAL
OPERATOR
A self contained door operator which uses an electric motor in conjunction
with a gear box (transmission) as a means of transmitting locomotion to a
door.
ELECTROHYDRAULIC
OPERATOR
A self contained door operator which utilizes an electric motor in
conjunction with a pump and piston.
FLOOR MOUNTED
OPERATOR
Door operator which is installed at or below the floor surface; usually a
hydraulic door operator.
GLASS GUARD
A grille or bar mounted on the door to protect the glass from damage caused
by impacts.
GUARD BAR
See GLASS GUARD
GUIDE RAIL
Traffic control device used to move pedestrians around and away from a
door's travel arc. Also used to direct pedestrian traffic through a door
opening in a perpendicular travel path.
HEADER
CASE
An enclosure used to conceal and mount a door operator.
HOLD-OPEN BEAM
A photo electric light mounted across the threshold area of a door, used to
keep the door in the open position when the threshold area is occupied.
HYDRAULIC
OPERATOR
Door operator which
utilizes a cylinder and piston powered by compressed fluid. The pump (or
power pack) for a hydraulic operator is usually mounted in a remote
location. Hydraulic lines or hoses are used to supply pressurized fluid to
the operator.
KNOWING ACT
An intentional means of activating a door operator. i.e. wall switch, card
reader, ceiling mounted pull cord switch, etc.
LATCH JAMB
The door's jamb (frame)
opposite the hinges. Usually the side the door latches on.
LATCH CHECK
POSITION
See CLOSING CHECK POSITION
LATCH CHECK
SPEED
See CLOSING CHECK SPEED
LEFT HAND DOOR
A door hinged on the left side, which swings into a building space.
LEFT HAND
REVERSE DOOR
A door hinged on the left side, which swings out of a building space.
LEFT HAND
TRAFFIC
Traffic pattern through a vestibule or an entrance in which traffic enters
and exits the door through the left side.
LINTEL
Supporting structure over the top of a doorway.
LINEAR DRIVE
Gearless mechanical transmission which converts rotary motion of a drive
shaft to linear
motion.
LOW ENERGY DOOR
OPERATOR
Automatic door operator
which opens a door under low power and slow speed. Usually used at
accessible entrances for the disabled. Low energy door operators are usually
both manually operable and automatic.
MASONRY OPENING
Opening in a brick, stone or concrete wall into which a door or window is to
be installed. Also see ROUGH OPENING.
MAT, ACTUATION
Means of activating an automatic door with a floor contact (weight
sensitive) mat.
MAT, SAFETY
Means of preventing a closed door from opening or a full open door from
closing with a floor contact (weight sensitive) mat.
MEETING STILE
For a pair of doors within a single frame opening; the vertical door edges
that meet in the center of the opening.
MOTION SENSOR
Electronic device which detects motion and sends an actuation signal to a
door operator. Microwave motion sensors detect motion by the Doppler shift
(radar) principle. Passive infra-red motion detectors detect a heat
differential moving through a detection grid. Motion sensors are usually
microwave units.
MUNTIN BAR
The horizontal midrail in a door panel, usually dividing the door's glass
into two pieces.
OPENING
CYCLE
When an automatic door moves from its full open position towards its full
closed position.
OPENING CHECK
The final travel position just before the door reaches its full open
position. The door's opening speed is reduced when in open check.
OPENING CHECK
POSITION
The position of the
door's travel where its speed is reduced prior to reaching the full open
position.
OPENING CHECK
SPEED
The reduced rate of speed
a door travels, during its final opening travel.
OPENING SPEED
The rate of speed a door
travels towards its full open position.
OVERHEAD
CONCEALED OPERATOR
An automatic door
operator which is concealed in a housing directly over the top of the door.
PANIC BREAKOUT
1) When doors which normally swing in the direction of ingress are forced to
swing in the emergency egress direction.
2) When sliding doors are forced to swing out in the emergency egress
direction.
PHOTO CELL
Actuation switch which sends a signal to the door's control mechanism, when
the path of a light beam is interrupted by a person or an object.
PHOTO BEAM
See PHOTO CELL
PNEUMATIC
OPERATOR
Automatic door operator which is powered by compressed air in a piston
cylinder.
POWER ASSIST
DOOR OPERATOR
A mechanism which reduces the amount of force required to manually operate a
door. Power assist doors do not open a door for traffic.
POWER ASSIST
CLOSE
When the door operator's
motor (or other type of power system) is used to assist the door operator's
closing spring. Usually at locations with very high winds and/or building
stack pressures.
POWER CLOSE
When the door operator's motor (or other type of power system) is used to
close the door. Power close door operators do not have closing springs.
POWER OPEN
When the door operator's motor (or other type of power system) is used to
open the door.
POWER UNIT
Pump (hydraulic or air) used to power a door operator. Power units are
usually installed in a remote building location, with lines or hoses to the
door operator.
PRESENCE
DETECTOR
Electronic device which
detects presence inside a detection zone and sends a operating signal to the
door's control mechanism. Ultra-sonic presence detectors use sound waves
(sonar) to detect presence. Active infra-red presence detectors use
invisible light reflecting off a person or an object within the detection
zone.
PULL CORD
SWITCH
Ceiling mounted switch which is activated by pulling a chain or cord.
PUSH TO OPEN
PUSH TO CLOSE
Operation of an automatic door which requires the user to activate a switch
to open the door. The door remains open, until the user activates a switch
to close it.
RATCHET
CONTROL
See PUSH TO OPEN PUSH TO CLOSE
RECYCLE
The reversing of a door's
travel, prior to reaching its full closed position.
RIGHT HAND DOOR
A door hinged on the right side, which swings into a building space.
RIGHT HAND
REVERSE DOOR
A door hinged on the right side, which swings out of a building space.
RIGHT HAND
TRAFFIC
Traffic pattern through a vestibule or an entrance in which traffic enters
and exits the door through the right side.
ROUGH OPENING
Opening in a wall into which a door or window is to be installed. Also see
MASONRY OPENING
SAFETY BEAM
See HOLD-OPEN BEAM
SINGLE SLIDE
Automatic sliding door with a single moving door panel.
SELF CONTAINED
OPERATOR
A door operator which
requires no external power unit. See POWER UNIT.
SPRING CLOSE
An automatic door which
uses a spring to return the door to the closed position.
STILE
See DOOR STILE
STRIKE JAMB
See LATCH JAMB
SURFACE MOUNTED
OPERATOR
Door operator mounted
onto the surface of the top door jamb and the structure above the door.
SYNCHRONIZED
OPERATORS
Operators which open a pair of doors simultaneously with the same (usually
closely matched) operating speeds.
TELESCOPING
SLIDING DOOR
Sliding door with two or more door panels traveling in the same
direction.
TIME DELAY,
CLOSING
The length of time a door remains fully open, after the actuation signal is
removed.
TOUCHLESS
SWITCH
Actuation switch which requires a user to place their hand near the switch
device, but does not require the user to touch or push.
TRANSOM MOUNTED
OPERATOR
See SURFACE MOUNTED
OPERATOR.
UNKNOWING ACT
An unconscious means of
activating a door, such as a motion sensor or presence detector.
VISIBLE MOUNTED
OPERATOR
See SURFACE MOUNTED
OPERATOR
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Page Last Updated Wednesday, April 16, 2008
By Charles F. Vetter