Household Appliance Lock with Integrated Stopper Pin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance lock mechanisms require additional stopper surfaces for rotational movement, increasing production costs and necessitating different body designs for various latch configurations.
Innovation Solution
A lock mechanism featuring a stopper integrated with a pin that ends the rotation of a latch, maintaining stability in locking and free positions by contacting the bearing wall, eliminating the need for additional stopper surfaces on the body and allowing for a single design across different latch configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional stopper surfaces are disposed on the body to end the rotational movement of the latch, then the latch rotation can be properly controlled, but the production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is integrated with the pin to form a single component, eliminating the need for separate stopper surfaces on the body. This merging of functions reduces the number of parts and simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the ability to control latch rotation at both stopping points.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the stopper (controlling latch rotation) and the pivot point for the latch. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated stopper surfaces on the body, reducing production complexity and cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional stopper surfaces are disposed on the body for different latch configurations, then various latch designs can be accommodated, but different body designs are required increasing inventory costs
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper integrated with the pin provides a universal solution that works with different latch configurations without requiring different body designs. The same lock body can accommodate various latch types by simply changing the latch component while maintaining the same stopper mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper function is extracted from the body and transferred to the pin-latch assembly. This allows the body to remain standardized while the latch and pin components can be varied to accommodate different configurations, reducing inventory complexity.
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
This solution reduces production and inventory costs by simplifying assembly and maintaining latch stability in locking and free positions without additional stopper surfaces, enabling a cost-effective and versatile lock design for household appliances.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (8), one end of which is connected to the body (6), one end to the latch (7), that is compressed by the rotation of the latch (7) and that enables the latch (7) to resume its former position by transferring the stored energy to the latch (7) when the latch (7) becomes free
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a household appliance (1) comprising a front wall (2); an opening (3) that is disposed on the front wall (2) and that enables the items to be placed therein; a cover (4) closing the opening (3), a tenon (5) disposed on the cover (4); and a lock (9) disposed on the front wall (2) and having a body (6) that remains behind the front wall (2), a latch (7) that is pivotally connected to the body (6), that the tenon (5) rotates by pushing while being placed into the body (6), that enables the tenon (5) to be kept inside the body (6) and that has a locking position (C) wherein the tenon (5) is kept inside the body (6) and a free position (O) changed by rotating as the tenon (5) is dislodged, and the lock (9) further having a spring (8), one end of which is connected to the body (6), one end to the latch (7), that is compressed by the rotation of the latch (7) and that enables the latch (7) to resume its former position by transferring the stored energy to the latch (7) when the latch (7) becomes free.