Adjustable Door Lock Self-Aligning Catch Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional barrel bolts require high accuracy during installation and become misaligned over time due to structural shifts, necessitating repositioning or cosmetic repairs to maintain functionality.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable door lock system featuring a catch plate with interconnected catch brackets and a linear channel, allowing the locking bolt to automatically align with the catch through orthogonal paths, ensuring secure locking without manual realignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional barrel bolts are installed with high accuracy, then initial alignment is achieved, but misalignment occurs over time due to structural shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The catch is designed to be adjustable along the second linear path (vertical direction) while the locking bolt moves along the first linear path (horizontal direction). This dynamic adjustment capability allows the catch to self-align with the locking bolt even when the door shifts position over time, resolving the contradiction between initial installation accuracy and long-term alignment stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameter of the catch along the vertical axis (second linear path) to compensate for misalignment caused by structural shifts. By allowing the catch to move vertically within its adjustment range, the system adapts to changing door positions without requiring high long-term alignment stability through rigid fixed positioning
2Reliability
If barrel bolts are repositioned to realign, then alignment is restored, but cosmetic repairs are required
Solution Approach 1:
The catch automatically adjusts its position along the second linear path when the locking bolt is inserted, using the bolt's own movement to trigger the alignment process. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention or cosmetic repairs to restore alignment, as the system self-corrects through the orthogonal adjustment paths
3Stability of the object's composition
If locking bolt and catch are rigidly fixed, then structural stability is maintained, but misalignment cannot be compensated
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into two independent directional components: the locking bolt moving horizontally along the first linear path and the catch adjusting vertically along the second linear path. This segmentation allows each component to maintain structural stability in its primary direction while providing adaptability through orthogonal movement, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and compensation capability
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable door lock may include a catch plate adapted to be secured adjacent to the door. A plurality of catch brackets may be connected to the catch plate. A catch may be adjustably connected to the catch plate and interfitted through the catch brackets. Such a catch preferably has a linear channel formed therein. A door plate may be disposed adjacent to the catch plate and adapted to be secured to the door. A locking bolt may further be housed within the door plate and may be linearly reciprocated along a first linear path passing through the door plate and the linear channel. In this way, the catch may be automatically adjusted along a second linear path orthogonally registered relative to the first linear path such that the linear channel automatically becomes axially aligned with the locking bolt as the locking bolt ingresses and egresses the catch.