Adjustable Width Barrier With Telescoping Locking Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety gates lack the ability to adjust width easily and securely, making them inefficient for various passageway openings and potentially hazardous due to the risk of pinching or failure to prevent child and pet access.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable width gate with an expandable barrier and a locking mechanism featuring an adjustable-length locking arm that pivots and slides, allowing incremental extension and retraction, providing a secure pressure fit and tactile/audible feedback for locked and unlocked states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional safety gates use fixed width design, then manufacturing is simple, but adaptability to different passageway openings is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The gate employs a telescoping barrier assembly with multiple extendable sections that can be adjusted to different lengths, transforming the fixed-width gate into a dynamic, adjustable-width barrier. This allows the gate to adapt to various passageway openings while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping barrier assembly utilizes nested sections where one barrier section is inserted within another, similar to nested dolls. This nesting mechanism enables compact storage when retracted and extended configuration when needed, providing adaptability without proportionally increasing the gate's overall complexity
2Reliability
If conventional safety gates lack adjustable width mechanism, then device complexity is low, but ability to prevent access in various openings is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism incorporates feedback through tactile and audible signals that confirm when the barrier is properly locked in the extended position. This feedback system ensures reliable prevention of access by providing clear indication to users that the gate is securely locked, while the feedback mechanisms themselves are integrated into the existing locking structure rather than adding separate complex systems
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to automatically engage and lock when the barrier is extended to the desired width, eliminating the need for separate manual locking operations. The system self-secures through the interaction of the locking member with the barrier assembly, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high reliability
3Ease of operation
If safety gate uses fixed barrier length, then ease of operation is high, but adaptability to different openings is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier assembly transitions from a fixed-length design to a dynamic telescoping structure that can be easily extended and retracted. The telescoping mechanism is designed with smooth-moving components that maintain ease of operation while providing continuous adjustability to match various passageway widths
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows the barrier to be extended or retracted in a controlled manner, maintaining operational simplicity while achieving adaptability to different opening sizes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The gate effectively secures passageways with adjustable width settings, preventing child and pet access while minimizing the risk of injury through secure locking and easy operation, ensuring reliable and safe passage control.
Implementation Method 1
The second end is rotatable about the first location so as to extend the expandable barrier for horizontal movement thereby providing a pressure fit engagement against a surface
Implementation Method 2
The second member includes a biased stop member configured to engage the first member at a plurality of incrementally spaced fixed positions along the length of the first member
Data Source
AI summary
A barrier has an expandable width barrier having opposing first and second ends. A locking arm is pivotably coupled to the expandable width barrier at the first end and slidably coupled to the expandable width barrier at the second end. The locking arm may be an adjustable-length construction. The pivoting of the locking arm causes the barrier to move between locked and unlocked states. When the locking arm is pivoted to lock the barrier, it causes the barrier to linearly expand a supplemental amount and fits the barrier to opposing sides of a passageway opening.