Ever walked to a store that is so fancy, their door opens on their own? I feel you, because these doors, when I first encountered them, seemed like magic to me. These doors are called Automatic doors and something, just Auto doors. They use sensors, so when you approach them, they will open and when there are no people around, they will close. It’s great, right?

But, have you ever wondered what the history behind these doors and how they actually work? Let’s take a look at the automatic door, the door we seem to love all the time.

1930’s Automatic Doors

Going far back in 1931, there were two fellows, both engineers in America named Sheldon S. Roby and Horace H. Raymond. They designed an optical device used to let the door open whenever someone needs to go in or out. It was specifically designed for a restaurant—Wilcox’ Pier Restaurant—which assisted waiters that had their hands full of glasses and plates.

1940’s to 1970’s Automatic Doors

By 1945, another duo of Americans who were Lew Hewitt and Dee Horton invented automatic doors that used mat actuators. These mat actuators are hidden electronic systems inside the door mat that senses if someone is standing on the mat, the door will open. This invention of theirs increased in popularity by 1960 and became the standard automatic door for hotels, restaurants and malls. In the 1970’s, another wave of inventions flooded the decade, and one of the notable ones is the motion sensor. Motion sensors were invented to open doors, also becoming popular because of the efficiency it provides.

1980’s to Present Automatic Doors

Jump to another decade, 1980s, automatic revolving doors were the talk and the motion sensors became common. 1990’s, automatic folding doors were also invented that was built with advanced infrared sensors, which is now the standard activation method.

Automatic doors are still improving over the course of time but how exactly do they work? To explain it in the simplest way, they use these sensors. A sensor may detect sound, light, weight or motion. In this case, automatic doors use normally use weight and motion. There are different kinds of sensors and they are used depending on the appropriateness of the surroundings.

Now, if the sensor detects something, it will send an electronic trigger that goes along its wiring. Finally, it goes to the open and close mechanism of the door which is attached to the door and uses a cog wheel and a number of rubber belts to control the motion of the door. You can get a free estimate for our Automatic Doors Chicago service when you call us now.

There are a number of advantages an automatic door can offer:

1. Easy access. Since the door would open on its own, it grants effortless access to the people who wants to enter or exit.
2. It has the ability to save more space.
3. Convenience. I’m sure everyone will agree to this one.
4. Security. Most automatic door systems can be manually controlled, so security can check who is going to enter. Locking systems are also used to further increase the security.

To learn more about our door installation services, call (800) 359-3449. We’ll diagnose your doors’ issue in depth

So, if you’re planning to buy doors that you think would fit your business, go for an automatic door to guarantee your customer’s satisfaction. Get Atlas Door Repair’s Automatic Doors Chicago now!