Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global construction and interior design sectors face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices and enhance accessibility. Rising material costs and a scarcity of skilled labor necessitate innovations that simplify manufacturing and installation. This technology offers a timely solution, enabling manufacturers to meet demand for lightweight, user-friendly, and cost-efficient sliding door systems, aligning with green building initiatives and universal design mandates worldwide.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Reduces Operating Force by up to 66% compared to conventional methods

02

Enables Lighter, Thinner Door Designs, potentially reducing material and transportation costs

03

Secures Market Advantage with High Uniqueness, making it difficult for competitors to replicate

Market Opportunity
Building & Residential Equipment
$5B–$10B globally (AI est.)
In new construction and renovation markets, there is increasing demand for barrier-free design and enhanced functionality. This technology's improved operability and lightweight design offer significant added value.
Residential door manufacturers Building material suppliers Smart home integrators
Medical & Nursing Care Facilities
$1B–$2B globally (AI est.)
Sliding doors that can be safely and easily operated by the elderly and those with physical disabilities directly contribute to improved quality of life in medical and nursing care settings, accelerating their adoption.
Healthcare facility equipment providers Specialized accessibility solution manufacturers Medical device component suppliers
Office & Commercial Facilities
$0.5B–$1B globally (AI est.)
As spatial design increasingly prioritizes both aesthetics and functionality, this technology's space-saving design and smooth operation offer a high-value option.
Commercial interior fit-out companies Office furniture manufacturers Hospitality sector suppliers
Furniture & Storage Solutions
$0.3B–$0.6B globally (AI est.)
Comfortable operation and durability are crucial for drawers and storage cabinet doors. Applying this technology could lead to product differentiation and enhanced user satisfaction.
High-end furniture manufacturers Custom cabinetry suppliers Storage solution providers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent robustly protects the core invention of a sliding door operating mechanism, with claims 1 and 2 precisely defining its scope. The patentability was established through effective amendments and arguments in response to examiner objections, indicating strong legal stability and resilience against invalidation.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily protects the mechanical operating mechanism of the sliding door. White space exists for developing integrated smart locking systems, advanced material composites for enhanced durability, or IoT-enabled sensing features without conflicting with the core claims.

Economic Impact
~$0.7M/year estimated cost savings per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

By reducing component costs by ~$3.50/door (AI est.) and manufacturing 100,000 units annually, ~$0.35M in component cost savings could be achieved. Additionally, simplifying the handle structure and lightening the door could reduce installation time by 10 minutes per door. At an estimated labor cost of ~$20/hour (AI est.) for 100,000 units annually, this could yield ~$0.35M in installation labor cost savings. The total estimated annual economic impact is ~$0.7M per facility (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology's specific structure and operating principles are thoroughly disclosed in the patent specification, indicating that technical validation is complete. Developing a new sliding door operating mechanism from scratch could take approximately 3 years for design, prototyping, evaluation, and mass production. However, by licensing this patent, companies can leverage an established technical foundation, significantly reducing the timeline from integration into existing manufacturing processes to market launch to approximately 0.5 years.
Competitive Positioning

X: Operability & User Experience
Y: Door Structure Optimization & Cost Efficiency

Business Models & Applications
📝 Licensing Model
A model for granting manufacturing and sales licenses to building material and furniture manufacturers, leveraging the patent rights of this technology. This could secure stable royalty income.
📦 Component Module Supply Model
A model for modularizing the operating mechanism based on this technology and supplying it as components to sliding door and furniture manufacturers. Licensees could reduce development costs and achieve faster product commercialization.
🤝 Joint Development & Commercialization Model
A model for jointly developing and launching next-generation sliding door products incorporating this technology with specific building material or residential manufacturers. This could co-create new brand value.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🏥 Medical & Nursing Care
Barrier-Free Automated Sliding Door System
Leveraging the technology's light operating force, integrate automated opening/closing functions linked with sensors. This could be developed as a next-generation barrier-free automated sliding door for medical and nursing care facilities, allowing wheelchair users and the elderly to pass safely without contact.
🏠 Smart Home
IoT-Integrated Smart Sliding Doors
By embedding opening/closing and locking sensors into the operating mechanism and linking with a smart home hub, this could offer new smart home experiences, such as remote status checks, locking operations, and even integration with AI-driven automatic ventilation systems.
🛋️ Luxury Furniture
Silent, Smooth Storage Cabinet Doors
Utilizing the technology's key features of 'smooth, low-force operation' and 'quietness,' this could be applied to luxury storage furniture and custom kitchens. It could differentiate products as high-value offerings focused on user experience, allowing even heavy doors to be opened with a single finger.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technical Suitability Assessment & Design
Duration: 3 months
Evaluate the technology's suitability for existing product lines and adjust the operating mechanism design to align with product concepts. This includes material selection and initial simulations.
Phase 2: Prototype Development & Validation
Duration: 6 months
Develop prototypes based on the design and integrate them into actual sliding doors for performance evaluation. Identify and resolve issues for mass production through validation of operating force, durability, and quietness.
Phase 3: Mass Production Design & Market Launch
Duration: 9 months
Conduct mass production design reflecting validation results and optimize manufacturing processes. Simultaneously, formulate market launch strategies, initiate promotion to target customers, and proceed to product release.
Technical Feasibility
The core components of this technology—the through-hole, base arm, connecting arm, protruding member, and elastic body—can be realized by applying existing part molding and assembly techniques used in current sliding door manufacturing processes. It is expected to be easily integrated without significant capital investment, by adding new component design and assembly steps to existing production lines. The simple structure depicted in the patent drawings particularly indicates high technical feasibility.
Success Scenario
If a licensee adopts this technology for residential equipment, achieving universal design that allows easy operation by the elderly and children could increase customer satisfaction by 20%. Furthermore, the lightweight design of the door itself could reduce installation costs by 10%, generating an estimated annual cost benefit of ~$0.35M (AI est.). This could significantly contribute to strengthening product competitiveness and enhancing brand image.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2022-135251
REGISTRATION NO.
7308572
FILING DATE
2022/08/26
GRANT DATE
2023/07/06
EXPIRATION DATE
2042/08/26
PATENT HOLDER
株式会社エルボーション
Examination History
2022年10月03日
出願審査請求書
2023年06月09日
拒絶理由通知書
2023年06月15日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2023年06月15日
意見書
2023年06月26日
特許査定